Before the fixtures were released for the new Premier League season last Thursday, Manuel Pellegrini was probably hoping for a nice winnable start to the campaign – a game which allows him to bed in his new signings.
Instead, the Hammers will face reigning Premier League champions Manchester City, a side against whom they have lost their last seven meetings.
In addition, in the last seven games between the two sides, West Ham have scored just four goals and conceded a dazzling 23.
The east London club have lost their last three opening games of the season and were beaten in all of their first four matches in the 2018/19 campaign.
But with all that being said, Pellegrini and West Ham should see August 10 as a major opportunity for the club to back up the money invested over the past 12 months with a competitive performance against the best team in the land.
In the final month of last season, only Man City and Liverpool were above West Ham in the form table and it really seemed as though Pellegrini had found his best team, gelled them together neatly, and was building something impressive at the club.
Now, with the addition of Pablo Fornals, this has to be their chance to mount what they have promised for so many years – having a real stab at breaking into England’s elite bracket.
And what better way to start that than by beating the side who won 17 of their final 18 Premier League games last season and have picked up 198 points across two campaigns.
If they are to upset the champions it would be only their second victory over City in 10 years and the first at home since 2014.
After taking on Pep Guardiola’s side, Pellegrini will have the opportunity to try and build up a head of steam with games against Brighton, Watford, Norwich and Aston Villa before they host Manchester United on the 21st of September.
The Hammers are yet to be in the top half of the table at Christmas since they moved to the London Stadium and so there is a sense that if Pellegrini can hit the ground running at the beginning of the upcming campaign then they are perfectly set up for a brilliant season.
It is not the be all and end all if West Ham are beaten on the opening day, after all it is one of the hardest fixtures of the season.
But if they can pull off what would be a huge result for the club, it could signal a sea change at the club.
