The Premier League title is within touching distance for Manchester City, though Pep Guardiola will almost certainly want his side to keep going right to the end of the campaign, starting with West Ham on Wednesday night.
Before Arsenal’s match against Chelsea, City are sat a point ahead of the Gunners and with a game in hand.
Win that, and a four-point lead at this late stage of the campaign will surely be insurmountable for Mikel Arteta’s side. That’s always assuming they get the job done against the Blues.
Ahead of Wednesday’s test at the Etihad Stadium, Guardiola was speaking to the press and noted his side’s opponents have one player he described as exceptional.
“West Ham maybe didn’t do in the Premier League this season they expected like they have for the past two seasons, but [David] Moyes has been exceptional and that doesn’t mean the quality isn’t there,” he was quoted as saying by the official Man City website.
“[…] The quality is there. At set-pieces they are maybe one of the best, scored three goals against Crystal Palace [in their last match] they attack the channels with [Michail ] Antonio and [Jarrod] Bowen, [Declan] Rice is an exceptional player.
“The weapons are there, they are a good team, they didn’t do a good season like they expect but the weapons are there. I don’t have doubts that in one game anything can happen that’s why we have to be absolutely ready.”
Rice is coveted by a number of Premier League teams, though David Moyes said back in February (quoted by talkSPORT) that it would take a British record fee to see him move away from the London Stadium.
Money would appear to be no object for Man City of course, and were the club to sell any of their current midfielders, there could be a position that opens up at the north west giants.
The England international will certainly do his hopes of a move to a bigger club, with the greatest of respect to West Ham, no harm at all with a captain’s performance on Wednesday.