Price Boost: Negredo to score first for Man City against West Ham

Manchester City’s 6-0 demolition of West Ham in the first leg of this Capital One Cup semi-final has made the return game something of a formality for both sides but that won’t stop Alvaro Negredo.

The Spaniard is in line to start tonight’s game and will no doubt be relishing the opportunity to add to his tally against the Hammers after bagging a hat-trick in the previous game between the two sides.

Having opened the scoring in the first leg of the League Cup clash between the pair, Ladbrokes is backing the 28-year-old to do it again this week with a special price boost on Negredo scoring the first goal of the game seeing odds move from 11/4 to 7/2.

The former Sevilla striker has become something of a cup specialist for Manuel Pellegrini’s side, scoring regularly in both the League Cup and FA Cup as the Blues go in search of an unprecedented quadruple.

In the meantime all eyes will be on Negredo, with the Spaniard aiming to score the opening goal in a fourth consecutive cup tie for the Citizens having found the net against West Ham and in their two FA Cup encounters with Blackburn.

All told, Negredo has scored the opener in five of their last six cup fixtures, as part of an impressive haul of 21 goals in 31 appearances for the 2012 Premier League champions.

And with opposing manager Sam Allardyce now likely to rest many of West Ham’s key players given the futile nature of the task at hand, we may not have to wait too long to see the man dubbed the new Alan Shearer raise his arm aloft in celebration.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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