Man City and West Ham managers Mark Hughes and Alan Curbishley are the two favourites to be sacked first this season and both managers will be under pressure to gain a good result on Sunday.

With an opening 2-4 loss at Villa, in which Man City were defensively sub-standard, and with a lack of strikers, Mark Hughes will find it hard to win against West Ham.

Bojinov, who has again picked up a serious injury that will rule him out for the majority of the season, joins strikers Jo, Benjani and Vassell on Man City’s unavailable list.

Hughes will take comfort from the fact that West Ham have not won in the last 6 meetings between the sides, but with West Ham picking up a decent 2-1 opening win over Wigan, courtesy of two early Dean Ashton goals, he has cause to be worried.

Match Betting Previews 23-25 August 2008 >>> Premiership: Blackburn v Hull - Liverpool v Middlesbrough - Newcastle v Bolton - Stoke v Aston Villa - Spurs v Sunderland - WBA v Everton - Fulham v Arsenal - Wigan v Chelsea - Man City v West Ham - Portsmouth v Man Utd Bundesliga: Dortmund v Bayern - Werder v Schalke - Stuttgart v Leverkusen Ligue 1: Le Havre v Marseille - Lyon v Grenoble - Bordeaux v Nantes Champions League: Arsenal v Twente - Liverpool v Standard - Atletico v Schalke

Notably, these sides’ last 7 meetings have all seen 2 goals or fewer, and though the odds reflect this and are short (with a best price of $1.70 for under 2.5 goals), there still may be some value there.

With both sides under pressure the draw is not unlikely and may be the best of both worlds for the sides’ respective managers; Boyle Sports offer $3.40 for the draw.

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Bet: Draw Odds: $3.40 Stake: 4pts Bookies: Boyle Sports

Match Betting Previews 23-25 August 2008 >>> Premiership: Blackburn v Hull - Liverpool v Middlesbrough - Newcastle v Bolton - Stoke v Aston Villa - Spurs v Sunderland - WBA v Everton - Fulham v Arsenal - Wigan v Chelsea - Man City v West Ham - Portsmouth v Man Utd Bundesliga: Dortmund v Bayern - Werder v Schalke - Stuttgart v Leverkusen Ligue 1: Le Havre v Marseille - Lyon v Grenoble - Bordeaux v Nantes Champions League: Arsenal v Twente - Liverpool v Standard - Atletico v Schalke