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Can Sergio Aguero help fire away Manchester City's blues against West Ham on Sunday?
The star striker has been lethal in his time at the Etihad and it was a shame to see his 100th goal for the team such a non-event, a consolation in an Old Trafford rout that was barely celebrated.
When Manuel Pellegrini was scrambling for positives after derby defeat he will hope that Aguero's return to the scoresheet can be one of them.
The Argentine had been on a curiously lean streak in 2015, scoring just four goals in fourteen appearances before last weekend.
It has contributed to City's downturn in form, and the manager will hope that a rejuvenated Aguero can fire the Blues back up the table, not least because two of the four Blues forwards are injured for the West Ham game.
There is personal motivation for the Argentine too. The Old Trafford brace took him back to the top of the Premier League scoring charts with 19 goals - not bad for a player not considered for the POTY award.
If Aguero can finish the season as top scorer, there's a good chance City can climb the table.
The arrival of West Ham at the Etihad should snap the Blues out of their sleepwalking state.
Last season Sam Allardyce's men arrived for a Capital One Cup semi-final, and Roger Johnson is still retreating after that 6-0 defeat.
They returned in May but were quickly forgotten as all attention was given to the champions.
And while their form at Upton Park has been impressive this season, their form has dipped with only three wins in 2015.
Allardyce has injury problems of his own too, also possessing only two fit strikers with Diafra Sakho and Andy Carroll injured.
"It leaves us very short in goalscoring options, but I am expecting that Carlton [Cole] will come in and play a big (role) for us in the next few games with the performances like we know he can," said Allardyce.
"It is a thigh injury (for Sakho), we think maybe towards the end of the season (he could be back), but maybe not.
"You have to be very careful with a thigh strain, so that he does not get a recurrence.
"If he is fit, he is fit. We would say 100 per cent fit, and not want to risk him if he was 95 per cent fit, we would give him that time to be absolutely certain, which would mean we would have to be at least four or five days training with the rest of the squad before he was available."
While City have plenty of concerns of their own they should have the quality to overcome a weakened West Ham team, out of form. If they can't, a top four finish is under serious threat.
Captain Vincent Kompany and striker Wilfried Bony are among Manchester City's injury problems for Sunday's visit of West Ham in the Barclays Premier League.
Defender Kompany (groin) could miss the rest of the season while Bony (ankle/knee) faces at least another week on the sidelines.
Midfielder James Milner (knee), defender Gael Clichy (groin) and striker Stevan Jovetic are also ruled out this weekend.
City have blown the title and still need three or four wins to make certain of Champions League football. It would be a disaster if they were to fail to land odds of 2/7. There is little in West ham's locker at the moment and both managers are udner fire.
Best Bet. draw/City HT/FT 7/2 BetVictor
Joe Ross
