City make five changes from the side that lost 2-0 to Tottenham at the start of the month.

Aymeric Laporte and Benjamin Mendy make welcome returns, while David Silva, Gabriel Jesus and Bernardo are all recalled.

Fernandinho, Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez all drop to the bench while Raheem Sterling misses out with injury.

Oleksandr Zinchenko is suspended after his red card against Spurs.

Team news

City: Ederson, Walker, Mendy, Laporte, Otamendi, Rodrigo, D Silva, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Jesus, Aguero

Subs: Bravo, Stones, Gundogan, Fernandinho, Mahrez, Cancelo, Foden

Probable tactics and formation (4-3-3)

Expect Gabriel Jesus to play on the left of the City attack, with Bernardo on the right flank supporting Sergio Aguero.

David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne will play behind the front three with Rodrigo pinning the midfield trio in front of the back four.

City aim for daylight

City return to action after a 17-day winter break with a re-arranged clash with West Ham United.

With a game against third-placed Leicester City to come on Saturday, City will look for the three points this evening that would open a five-point gap between the teams.

City have had a long time to stew on the 2-0 loss to Tottenham – a game many feel the hosts were fortunate to win given the possession and opportunities created during the 90 minutes.

Stats and milestones

  • City have won the last seven Premier League fixtures against West Ham, scoring 23 goals and conceding only three.
  • The teams met on the opening day of the season at the London Stadium with City winning 5-0.
  • City will look to avoid failing to score for a third successive game tonight – something that hasn’t happened since March 2016.
  • If Sergio Aguero starts and scores the opening goal, it will be the first time a City player has scored six Premier League goals in succession for the Club.
  • The Hammers have failed to win their last five games, taking just two points from a possible 15.
  • The 10 goals West Ham have scored away from home this campaign is the second worst in the division after Norwich City.
  • No team has dropped more points from winning positions than West Ham who have squandered 19 points this season.
  • David Moyes has drawn one and lost five of his six meetings with Pep Guardiola teams.

West Ham United XI