Manchester City-West Ham United Preview

Though it can be argued West Ham United has been the surprise package of the early season in the Premier League, Saturday afternoon's match versus reigning champions Manchester City likely will provide an accurate measuring stick of just how far the Hammers have come and possibly, how much they have left to go.

Few people, if any, would have expected West Ham (4-1-3) to be occupying a Champions League spot at any point during the season. But fourth place is where the Hammers currently reside as they seek a third consecutive victory that would also be their highest-profile one to date.

"It's good that we're getting the results our performances merit at the moment," coach Sam Allardyce said in his Thursday news conference. "At the moment we're very good but we have to remember we're only eight games in."

One of the keys to West Ham's strong start has been their offence. They have 15 goals, nearly doubling the amount they had at this point last season, when they had scored only eight goals while claiming eight points. Allardyce noted "it's a big improvement" but also warned "it'll get harder as the two strikers get paid more attention and are singled out."

Senegal national Diafra Sakho has been the more influential of those two forwards with a team-high five goals, but Ecuadorian counterpart Enner Valencia has found his sea legs in league play and provided two markers in five matches since becoming a full-time starter. Both provided goals along with Carlton Cole in a 3-1 win at Burnley on Sunday, Hammers' third win in four matches.

Set pieces may prove pivotal to West Ham's success. The Hammers have won a league-high 60 corners and a Premier League-best six goals have come on headers.

Yet all that momentum may mean nothing considering Manchester City (5-2-1) not only have yet to concede on a header, but they also tore West Ham asunder by a 14-1 aggregate across four victories last season. City did the double and set a League Cup record by poleaxing Hammers by a combined 9-0 scoreline in the two-legged semifinal en route to the silverware.

At the centre of City's attack will be Sergio Aguero, who had four of those 14 goals versus West Ham. The Argentina international has found a rich vein of form lately, riding a five-match goal-scoring streak across all competitions, and contributed his eighth goal in that span Tuesday when City settled for a 2-2 draw at CSKA Moscow in Champions League play after squandering a two-goal lead in the second half.

''Of course I'm very disappointed,'' City coach Manuel Pellegrini said. ''It seemed so easy after the first half.''

While City face a near must-win scenario to advance out of Champions League group play, the same could be said of their domestic plight as they try to stay within striking distance of front-runners Chelsea. Aguero did his part in scintillating fashion Sunday, bagging four goals as City overwhelmed Tottenham Hotspur 4-1.

"I am not just saying this because he scored four goals, but I think Kun is one of the best three or four strikers in the world," Pellegrini told the team's official website after Aguero became City's all-time leading Premier League scorer with 61 in just 75 starts and 95 matches overall.

West Ham have taken one point from four matches against the Citizens since returning to the top flight for the 2012-13 season, a scoreless draw at Upton Park on Nov. 3, 2012. Including the League Cup sweep, Hammers have not scored in 302 minutes against City.