Manchester City secured an encouraging 4-1 win over West Ham United at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Vladimir Coufal’s own goal got the Cityzens on the right track early in the first half before Erling Haaland’s simple header just before the final whistle provided a much-needed buffer.
Haaland then doubled his tally shortly after the break with a successful dink and Phil Foden netted three minutes later before Niclas Fullkrug scored the visitors’ consolation.
How the game developed
Man City were looking for the perfect start to the new year and luck was on their side as they took an early lead at the Etihad. Mohammed Kudus and Tomas Soucek missed promising opportunities for the visitors before Savinho, who starred in last weekend’s win over Leicester City, saw his cross deflected into the bottom corner by the helpless Coufal.
Although Man City took the lead in the tenth minute, it was West Ham who had the better chances in the first half hour. When the hosts gave up the ball, the Hammers burst with pace and intensity on the counter-attack but failed to make the most of a series of encouraging attacks.
Bernardo Silva almost punished their wastefulness in the 32nd minute after shooting after a clever Man City move, but the diminutive Portuguese saw his low shot deflected by the outstretched feet of Alphonse Areola.
The reigning Premier League champions began to purr at the end of the first half, forcing Areola to stretch again as they hoped for a reassuring second goal. Rico Lewis was offered too much freedom as he collected the ball 25 yards from goal, but the youngster saw his poisonous shot go wide.
The hosts were finally rewarded for their pressure before the break when Haaland got on the scoresheet for the second time in a row. It was an almost identical copy of the Norwegian’s goal against Leicester in the last game, when he produced a calm header at the far post after Savinho’s extraordinary cross deep.
Any hopes of an inspired comeback from the Hammers were dashed ten minutes into the second half when Haaland secured his brace. It was Savinho again who fired the shot, moving forward and releasing Man City’s towering striker, who gently overpowered the onrushing Areola.
West Ham were the architects of their own downfall as City quickly secured a comfortable fourth place finish. Kevin De Bruyne picked up a loose pass from Kudus and pushed the ball across to Foden, who scored his second Premier League goal of the season and added some gloss to the scoreline.
There would be no more goals conceded for Man City as West Ham equalized through Fullkrug and the hosts took their foot off the gas in the final stages. Lucas Paqueta also almost scored a second goal for the Hammers, but his shot went just a few centimeters wide.
However, that didn’t matter as Man City secured an important win that saw them reduce the gap to the top four.
Check out Man City vs West Ham player ratings here.
Man City’s defensive problems have been noticeable over the last two torrid months, but they have also been hugely disappointing in the final third. For a team that prides itself on their free-flowing attacking football, they have been shockingly blunt in recent games.
However, that wasn’t an issue on Saturday. While Man City rarely applied unrelenting pressure to West Ham’s goal, they did create a number of clear-cut chances. Their link-up play was safer and faster, and the win over Leicester gave the team confidence.
They were also composed in key moments and took advantage of the opportunities that came their way with impressive ruthlessness. It feels like a potential turning point for a forward line that has long seemed a shadow of its former self.
Savinho was the catalyst for Man City’s first win in five games at the King Power Stadium and the tireless Brazilian delivered another game-winning performance in the visit of West Ham.
The 20-year-old has been the brightest spark in Man City’s forward line, which has struggled for creativity in recent games, and his ingenuity forced both goals in the first half. A quick shot past Coufal and a lucky strike gave the home side much-needed breathing space, while an exquisite cross at the far post gave Haaland the easiest header to increase the cushion.
Savinho was once again the beating heart of Man City’s third team, using his pace to force West Ham’s defenders to retreat before playing an inch-perfect through ball for Haaland. It was a devastating performance against an admittedly apathetic Hammers backline.
Much has been made of Man City’s problems this season, with players such as Jack Grealish, Jeremy Doku and previously Savinho flattering to deceive. However, the latter has provided the push and energy that has helped the Cityzens emerge from the slump and quickly become a real force on the left.
Haaland still only had 25 touches of the ball against West Ham. He will simply never be a striker who is involved in every phase of the game and ties the game together with one-touch passes. But he more than makes up for his shortcomings with an unmatched ruthlessness.
However, he has been missing this aspect of his game in recent weeks. His goal against Leicester was the first of five and even the sober Norwegian was guilty of shooting in promising moments. He made amends against hapless West Ham.
After scoring a remarkably similar header to the one against Leicester, Haaland then served up a Haaland classic. He shot over the final line and chased Konstantinos Mavropanos out of the way. He showed an excellent chip and scored the decisive third goal.
It was the kind of sequence in which Haaland performed better than any other striker in world football, with early signs of confidence becoming apparent. This will be a major concern for Premier League centre-backs.
West Ham weren’t bad at the Etihad. They had some promising moments and could have taken the lead twice before Coufal’s unfortunate own goal. But the fight and energy quickly faded from the failed Londoners and they suffered another crushing defeat.
After scoring five goals against Liverpool last time out, the Hammers conceded four in Manchester. Their defensive deficiencies became apparent and a lack of intensity and organization in defense proved costly. The focus naturally turns to the manager.
It appears that Lopetegui has been on the verge of being fired for six weeks. West Ham failed to improve much from their disappointing form at the start of the season and suffered a number of humiliating defeats against the division’s big boys.
Once again, Lopetegui was unable to devise a game plan that could put any significant pressure on an out-of-form Man City, nor did he manage to make it difficult for his team to break through at the other end. Another sub-par performance will undoubtedly move the Spaniard closer to the chopping block.