West Ham United - Manchester City

Match Preview

In everyone's opinion City is a huge favourite of this match. Some bookmakers gave West Ham 500-1... and it's normal, cause City won first leg of this encounter with score - 6:0. Hammers coach Sam Allardyce is upset because club failed in transfer with Lacina Traore. His team have some problems in front and need new striker. West Ham's leader Kevin Nolan will return after serving suspension. James Tomkins returns too.Andy Caroll has minor injury, but he will play. It's nort yet known about Ravel Morrison and Ricardo Vaz Te - they could play. Hammers are back in the relegation zone and Allardyce knew that hi is on the verge of sacking, so must be careful.

As for Manuel Pellegrini it's a chance for some experiments with his squad. He may place on the starting line-up Stevan Jovetic and Jack Rodwell. These players were injured and now are returning. City jumped over 100-goal barrier in only 34 matches. So we think today will be scored many goals. "It is definitely a great achievement to score 100 goals, but we want to win something" - said Edin Dzeko, who has scored six goals in four League Cup appearances this season. So City is in rush to Wembley, where will be Final of the League Cup and winner of this couple(we already can say - City) will play against winner of Manchester United and Sunderland (first match was won by Sunderland - 1:2).

Statistics
Manchester City is unbeaten in last eight encounters with West Ham in all competitions.
First-leg 6:0 was the joint-biggest win in League Cup semi-final history. West Ham were also on the end of the other six-goal defeat, in 1990 their meeting with Oldham ended 0:6.
Both clubs were semi-finalists in 1964 and 2011, with West Ham losing to the eventual winners on both occasions.
City strikers Alvaro Negredo and Sergio Aguero have scored 21 goals each this season  - only one fewer than whole West Ham's in the Premier League this season.
West Ham have found the net in 34 of their last 35 League Cup games at Boleyn Ground.
City have scored 16 goals in four League Cup games this season, conceding just once.