In a commanding display, Manchester City triumphed over West Ham United with a decisive 3-0 scoreline at the Etihad Stadium. Star striker Erling Haaland was the standout player, netting two goals that showcased his exceptional skill and finishing ability. The Norwegian forward opened the scoring early in the 5th minute and secured his brace with a brilliant individual goal in the 68th minute.
Tijjani Reijnders also shone during the match, scoring the second goal for the Citizens in the 38th minute following a well-coordinated team play. City’s dominance was evident as they maintained control throughout the game, difficulty for the Hammers to break through their solid defense. Haaland’s second goal, which came after an impressive solo run down the left flank, was placed perfectly into the bottom right corner, leaving goalkeeper Alphonse Areola with no chance.
Haaland finished the match with a total of 8 shots at goal and completed 5 successful passes, marking him as the man of the match. Defensively, Matheus Nunes made a significant impact, successfully intercepting 8 attempts from West Ham.
Manager Josep Guardiola opted for a 4-5-1 formation, starting Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal; with Matheus Nunes, Rúben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, and Nico O’Reilly forming the backline. The midfield comprised Tijjani Reijnders, Nicolás Gonzalez, Bernardo Silva, Rayan Cherki, and Phil Foden, while Haaland led the attack up front.
On the other side, West Ham United, coached by Nuno Espírito Santo, lined up in a 3-4-3 formation with Areola in goal; Kyle Walker-Peters, Maximilian Kilman, and Jean-Clair Todibo in defense; alongside Mateus Fernandes, Freddie Potts, Soungoutou Magassa, and Oliver Scarles in the midfield, with Lucas Paquetá, Crysencio Summerville, and Jarrod Bowen leading the offense.
The match official was Paul Tierney, who maintained control of the game from start to finish.
Next on the fixture list, Manchester City will face Nottingham Forest away, while West Ham United will host Fulham. With this victory, the Citizens now sit at the top of the Premier League table with 37 points, while West Ham remains in the relegation zone with 13 points.
Substitutions for Manchester City
67’ – Tijjani Reijnders off for Rico Lewis, Nicolás Gonzalez off for Abdukodir Khusanov, Rayan Cherki off for Savinho
74’ – Bernardo Silva off for Divine Mukasa
Yellow Card for Manchester City:
28’ – Nicolás Gonzalez (Holding an opponent to prevent advancement)
Substitutions for West Ham United
63’ – Oliver Scarles off for Ezra Mayers
79’ – Lucas Paquetá off for Tomás Soucek, Crysencio Summerville off for Konstantinos Mavropanos, Mateus Fernandes off for Guido Rodríguez
80’ – Freddie Potts off for Callum Wilson
Yellow Card for West Ham United:
40’ – Jarrod Bowen (Unsporting behavior)