WEST HAM 2, MANCHESTER CITY 2
Enner Valencia scores twice for West Ham
Sergio Aguero levels it twice for Man City with his 14th and 15th City goals of the season
Man City hit the post twice through Aguero and Fabian Delph
Cheikhou Kouyate hits the bar in last action of the game
Manchester City moved up to second place in the league after a deserved draw against West Ham on what is probably their last visit to Upton Park before the Hammers move to the Olympic Stadium next season.
Both sides opted to attack and left plenty of space to exploit and Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini must be relieved that Sergio Aguero has hit top form again after a slow return from injury.
“It was a wonderful game to watch for the fans.” said Pellegrini, who added: “With a little bit more luck we could have won the game.”
Pellegrini didn’t want to dwell on defensive errors but instead heaped praise on his striker who is coming into a rich vein of form.
He explained: “Sergio always needs needs two or three games to return to his best performance after injury. The last games he has played very well.”
Aguero has hit top form with two goals against Crystal Palace last week and another brace today but injuries, mistakes and a lack of protection for City’s defensive partnership of Martin Demichelis and Nicolas Otamendi continues to ruin Joe Hart’s hopes of a clean sheet on the road with City.
It was the same story again after less than a minute when Enner Valencia opened the scoring for the Hammers, beating Joe Hart after the Hammers drove through City’s unprotected midfield.
Aguero chipped onto the back post after beating Carl Jenkinson before the hapless fullback injured himself bringing the Argentine down in the box two minutes later.
The Argentine hitman nailed the equaliser with a well struck penalty with nine minutes on the clock.
Martin Demichelis could have been sent off for a foul on Michail Antonio when put through by Dimitri Payet but it needed Hart’s acrobatic save to deny Payet whose 25-yard free kick could have put the Hammers back in the lead.
Fabian Delph screwed a shot against the post in the second half but Valencia restored the home side’s lead in the 56th minute after he stole in past Otamendi to score after fatal hesitation by the Argentine defender from a long throw-in by Antonio.
City rescued a point with nine minutes to go after substitute Kelechi Iheanacho’s determined run opened the opportunity for Aguero to poach a second equaliser with 10 minutes to go.
Aguero could have won it late on but shot straight at Adrian while Payet’s injury time free kick was headed against the bar by Cheikhou Kouyate.