Manuel Pellegrini's side are unbeaten in 13 matches across all competitions, and will be eager to extend that run when welcoming Sam Allardyce's Premier League strugglers to the Etihad Stadium for the first leg of their semi-final.
Although City were held to a 1-1 FA Cup draw at Blackburn Rovers on Saturday, the two-time winners will be confident of gaining an advantage over a West Ham side in the midst of an awful season.
That came last month, when Allardyce's side claimed a surprise 2-1 victory at Tottenham to reach the last four.
Allardyce has since received a vote of confidence from the club's hierarchy, but the former Newcastle United and Bolton Wanderers manager will know his injury-hit team must show significant improvement if they are to prevail against City.
Reflecting on the 5-0 loss at Forest, Allardyce said: "Nobody wants to get beat and we certainly don't want to get beat 5-0, but at the end of the day the semi-final against Manchester City is more important."
