Defender David Wetherall is determined that City avoid making the same mistakes that led to their 5-4 defeat at Upton Park last season.

It was an extraordinary match in which the Bantams found themselves 4-2 up six minutes after half-time.

Wetherall, who has the distinction of playing in every one of City's 45 Premiership matches, said: "It was incredible. We were two goals up and it all went horribly wrong.

"They pushed everyone forward and after that it could have gone either way. I knew it wasn't over at 4-2, but we had the chance to make it 5-2 and then we could have equalised in the last minute.

"Maybe we should have pulled all our players back when we were 4-2 up.

"It must have been a fantastic match to watch, but only if you were a neutral or a West Ham supporter.

"For us it was agony. We sat in the dressing after the match and asked ourselves 'what happened?'

"It must have been entertaining to some, but I would rather be involved in a boring 1-0 win when we go back there tomorrow."

Wetherall, who has been ultra-consistent at the heart of the defence following his £1.4 million transfer from Leeds United last year, is in no doubt where the main danger will come from.

"We are going to have work extremely hard to close down Joe Cole and Paolo Di Canio," he said. "If we let them have time and space on the ball they will produce the goods.

"Di Canio is a great player and a real handful for a defender. He is so mobile and skilful and difficult to mark, but I just hope our Italian striker Benito Carbone outshines him."

Wetherall is conscious of City's need to improve their miserable away results. They are without a point or a goal from their first three matches, and he said: "Now is the time to get our away form right.

"We need to get something from our travels. We were poor away from home last season and we don't want to struggle again.

"We have got to be solid as a unit against West Ham and keep it very tight. If we can get a 1-0 win it would be ideal."

A victory would certainly be welcome because Wetherall and his colleagues are not enjoying finding themselves bottom of the Premiership.

"It is still very close and if we can get a couple of wins we will pull away from the bottom," he said.