Manchester City are looking for a much-needed win in their first game of the new year when they take on West Ham United on Saturday afternoon.
The Cityzens ended a five-match winless run against Leicester City last time out He looked far from convincing in his 2-0 victory. Injuries and a lack of confidence continue to affect the defending champions, who are looking for back-to-back wins in any competition for the first time since the end of October.
The absence of Ruben Dias and Rodri will undoubtedly worry the home side on Saturday, who have struggled defensively over the past few months, but back-to-back wins could serve as motivation for Pep Guardiola's side to attack in the second half of the season.
Here's how city Can line up against West Ham.
Goalkeeper: Stefan Ortega – Ederson will miss Manchester City again as he recovers from a knee injury, and Ortega will take his place on Saturday. The German is a capable MP and will want to close for the second time in a row.
Centre-back: Manuel Akanji – Manchester City's recent defensive woes have not been due to Akanji, who has remained consistent during a difficult period. He produced an important goal-line clearance against Leicester and will relish the physical battle with Niklas Volkrug this weekend.
Centre-back: Nathan Ake – With the disappearance of John Stones and Dias, Aki's importance is magnified. The Dutch defender should play in midfield in a hybrid and flexible defence, making his third successive start since returning from injury.
Centre-back: Josko Gvardiol – Gvardiol's form has been worrying this season. The Croatian seems to make notable mistakes every week, and even his goal threat at the other end can't overshadow some consistently shaky performances.
DM: Rico Lewis – Lewis is likely to adopt the inverted right-back role on Saturday, but will spend the bulk of the game in midfield.
Direct Defender: Mateo Kovacic – The midfielder has left an impression on Rodri at times this season and has been excellent at the King Power Stadium. City need some big performances from him for the Spanish midfielder to return from injury.
RM: Phil Foden – Foden is still far from the high standards he set for himself last season, but Foden is always capable of providing some magic. A determined effort forced Manchester City to score the first goal against Leicester last time.
Midfielder: Kevin De Bruyne – De Bruyne has yet to produce the impressive performances he has put in since returning from injury. Maybe it's time to catch up with the exceptional Belgian, whose contract expires this summer.
Midfielder: Bernardo Silva – Silva scored a fortuitous goal in City's last match at the Etihad Stadium, and has the ability to be involved in a range of duties across midfield.
LM: Savinio – It took four months but Savinho finally achieved his goal in English football at the King Power. A goal and an assist The Brazilian's best performance in the sky blue shirt But Guardiola demanded more from the active winger.
Striker: Erling Haaland – Haaland's four-match drought ended against Leicester City, with the Norwegian scoring with a diving header to seal the points. However, he still missed some big chances and underperformed in terms of the number of goals he scored per game Premier League In approximately three strokes.