MAN CITY 1, WEST HAM 2
Manchester City surrendered their 100-per-cent Premier League record as West Ham claimed another notable scalp.
It has been a bad week for City with defeats against Juventus and the Hammers denting their impressive start to the campaign.
But the Hammers completed a notable hat trick having already won at Arsenal and Liverpool as goals from Victor Moses and Diafro Sakho lifted them into second place in the table.
City’s only comfort was an impressive full debut for new-boy Kevin De Bruyne who scored his first goal for the club.
But the plaudits went to the Hammers who produced a heroic rearguard action in the second half in a game in which City enjoyed 72-per-cent possession.
City had 27 shots at goal including eight on target and also had 16 corners, but could only find a way once past keeper Adrian as the Hammers recorded their first-ever victory at the Etihad Stadium. City had recorded six straight home wins against the Hammers and were unbeaten in nine home league games against them, a run stretching back to 2003.
City manager Manuel Pellegrini was unhappy saying: “It was frustrating because we were after three more important points at home.
“We played against a difficult team who had won their two away games before tonight. We conceded two easy goals and perhaps that is one of the reasons why we didn’t win today.
“In the last two games we have not played with concentration and intensity and the two goals we conceded were from a corner and edge of the box. We need to concentrate more.”
Pellegrini pointed out that he never thought City were running away with the league after five straight league victories before this loss.
He said: “We didn’t think we had won five games and won the Premier League.
“There are 32 games left and 96 points to play for.”
Pellegrini explained that David Silva complained on a tight calf muscle in the warm-up which is why he pulled out of the game, but refused to blame his absence for the defeat.
“I am not making excuses and there was not one player why we didn’t win,” explained Pellegrini who added Eliaquim Mangala came off at half time with a muscle injury.
And Pellegrini refused to answer a question about the impressive display by De Bruyne.
“The important thing was to win the game and we didn’t win,” he said.
City handed first starts to expensive summer signings De Bruyne and Nicolas Otamendi.
De Bruyne, who cost £55m from German club Bundesliga club Wolfsburg, replaced the injured Samir Nasri while £32m Otamendi came in at the back for captain Vincent Kompany who was hurt in midweek against Juventus.
Sergio Aguero, who was only fit enough to be on the bench against Juve, returned to the starting line up as Wilfried Bony stood down.
City were also forced to make a late chance after Silva was injured in the warm up as Jesus Navas was handed a reprieve.
And it was the Hammers who struck first taking a sixth-minute lead as City conceded their first goal of the season in the Premier League.
Dimitri Payet found Moses whose 25-yard drive arrowed into the bottom corner of the net, the first time Joe Hart had been beaten in 9hrs and 32 mins of league football.
City ought to have equalised three minutes later when Aguero shot disappointingly wide of an open goal.
De Bruyne’s pass was headed by Aaron Cresswell back towards his keeper only for Aguero to intercept and round Adrian before shooting harmlessly wide.
And it got better for the Hammers who doubled their lead in the 31st minute through Sakho’s close-range effort.
Winston Reid’s header from a Payet corner was only partially cleared by Fernandinho as Pedro Obiang set up Sahko who stabbed the ball home from inside the six-yard box.
City, who had conceded two goals in nine games before midweek, were stunned after letting in four goals in 51 minutes.
But they were got a toehold back into the game when they halved the deficit two minutes into four of added time.
Aguero laid the ball off to De Bruyne who found the bottom corner with a shot from just outside the penalty area.
City made a change at the break as the injured Mangala was replaced by Martin Demichelis.
It was cleared from the resumption that it would be a long half for the Hammers as City immediately pressed for an equaliser.
Reid almost put through his own goal only to be saved by Adrian who also did well to foil Yaya Toure who burst through on goal.
Toure also went close with a shot from the right of the box which whistled past the far upright as City kept up the pressure.
Bony replaced Sterling, who had a quiet game, midway through the second period as City looked for increased firepower.
Toure was a man on a mission as he had another excellent effort blocked by Cresswell as the Hammers continued to live dangerously.
City made their last change with six minutes left when left-back Aleksandar Kolarov was replaced by young striker Kelechi Iheancho who scored a last-gasp winner at Crystal Palace.
They had a late chance to snatch a point as Adrian made a great save to turn over a header from Otamendi.
The Hammers could have added a third goal in the last minute when City keeper Joe Hart had to be alert to keep out a shot from Payet.