West Ham United have faced Manchester City on three previous occasions in their opening top-flight game of the season, losing all three and failing to score a single goal (conceded 11).
Manchester City are unbeaten in their last 13 Premier League meetings with West Ham (W10 D3), only versus Fulham (14) are they currently enjoying a longer unbeaten run against sides in the top-flight in 2022-23.
Only Tottenham (38) have lost more Premier League games against reigning champions than West Ham (36). Meanwhile, of all sides to have played 20+ such games in the competition, only Aston Villa (7.4 per cent) and West Bromwich Albion (7.7 per cent) have a lower win rate than the Hammers (9.6 per cent - won 5/52).
After losing their first Premier League match in five consecutive seasons between 2016-17 and 2020-21, West Ham won 4-2 at Newcastle last season. They last started their league season with a win in back-to-back years in 2012-13 (1-0 v Aston Villa) and 2013-14 (2-0 v Cardiff).
Manchester City lost 1-0 to Spurs in their opening league match of last season, meaning the reigning top-flight champions have lost their opening match in three of the last six seasons (W3), having gone unbeaten in 26 consecutive seasons between 1990-91 and 2015-16 before this run.
West Ham have won just one of their last seven Premier League games (D2 L4), with that victory coming at already relegated Norwich in May (4-0). The Hammers are winless in their last nine Premier League games against reigning champions (D2 L7), since a 1-0 win against Chelsea in December 2017.
Manchester City have lost just one of their last 28 Premier League games (W23 D4), and are unbeaten in their last 12 (W9 D3). The Citizens are also unbeaten in their last 18 away from home (W14 D4), with their only defeat on the road last season coming in London on the opening weekend (0-1 v Tottenham).
Man City’s Jack Grealish has been involved in five goals in his six Premier League appearances against West Ham (3 goals, 2 assists), including four in his last four – against no side has he been involved in more (also 5 v Liverpool).
Man City striker Erling Haaland could be the seventh Norwegian to score on his Premier League debut, and the third to do so in the opening game of a season (Tore Andre Flo in 1997-98, Adama Diomande in 2016-17). His father – Alf Inge Haaland – made 181 Premier League appearances between 1994 and 2001, with the last of those coming for Manchester City against West Ham United in April 2001.
New Man City signing Erling Haaland has been involved in seven goals in his last three games played on the opening weekend of a league season – one assist with Red Bull Salzburg in 2019-20, two goals with Borussia Dortmund in 2020-21 and two goals and two assists with Dortmund last season.