Manchester City 4, West Ham 1
Erling Haaland scored a brace as City overcame early nerves to dispatch West Ham with a flurry of New Year goals.
Vladimir Coufal scored an early own goal before Haaland’s double and Phil Foden applied a fourth to make the score as safe despite a late consolation for Niclas Fullkrug as City fans would have wanted after their recent terrible run of form.
But while West Ham peppered City with chances (17 with 4 on target and just 1 goal), City were far more clinical with their fewer efforts (10 with 7 on target and 4 goals).
So while Pep Guardiola’s men might be scoring more goals the underlying defensive issues may still be present despite the Blues appearing to turn over a new year.
Savinho’s deflected strike gave City the lead but they were lucky that West Ham didn’t have a cutting edge up front as opportunities created by Mohammed Kudus and Crysencio Summerville were not taken by the visitors who also had Lucas Paqueta shoot wide.
Both sides might have scored goals past each other’s weak defences.
City could have had a second when Kevin De Bruyne released Erling Haaland who squared the ball for Bernardo Silva only for the Portuguese midfielder to shoot straight at Alphonse Areola.
Kudus was sent clear after a City lost the ball from their own short corner but Foden got back to help stop his shot while Rico Lewis had a stunning 20 yard shot saved by Alphonse Areola.
But the City were soon 2-0 up after Savinho’s cross from the left set up Erling Haaland at the back post for a header – signalling his appreciation for the Brazilian after extending City’s lead.
Haaland ran onto a through ball by Savinho to score City’s third – lifting the ball over a grounded Alphonse Areola – after 55 minutes.
And City had their fourth three minutes later when the Hammers made a hash out of playing out from the back as they gifted Kevin De Bruyne with the ball and he released Phil Foden to get City’s fourth goal on the scoresheet after 58 minutes.
Lucas Paqueta floated a free kick onto the roof of the net as West Ham tried to get on the scoresheet and Niclas Fullkrug ensured City would not get a clean sheet after he swept home Tomas Soucek’s cross from the left.
And Crysencio Summerville blazed over while Lucas Paqueta drove wide of the back post as the Hammers still found ways to flood past City’s creaking midfield with the game virtually over.
Embed from Getty ImagesPLAYER RATINGS – Manchester City 4, West Ham 1
Stefan Ortega: 6. Needed to be on alert as the defence in front of him wasn’t great. Tipped over a drive by Vladimir Coufal. Got clattered by Niclas Fullkrug but was ok to continue.
Rico Lewis: 6. Inverting into midfield a risky business with Crysencio Summerville dangerous between the lines. Had a stunning shot from 20 yards saved by Alphonse Areola.
Manuel Akanji: 6. Looked a bit rusty in the first half. Lucky to get foul awarded against Crysencio Summerville who was through on goal having seemingly robbed him.
Nathan Ake: 6. Had to withstand early West Ham pressure and was taken off as a precautionary measure.
Josko Gvardiol: 7. Up against Mohammed Kudus but had a sticky start as the West Ham man hit the side netting and also set up a great chance for Tomas Soucek. Much better charging upfield with the ball.
Mateo Kovacic: 6. Found Crysencio Summerville a threat in midfield, distribution put City in trouble at times but improved after slow start.
Bernardo Silva: 6. Good touches in dangerous areas – his ball released Savinho for the opening goal.
Savinho: 8. Balls into the box troubled West Ham defence. Had Vldimir Coufal on toast. His shot deflected in off the hapless Hammers defender and he went past him to cross for Erling Haaland’s goal too. Linked up well with Haaland and almost had a return pass in the second half but supplied the kind of ball that Haaland thrives on from midfield for his second goal.
Kevin De Bruyne: 7. Looked back to full fitness – happily took a gift from West Ham and set up Phil Foden for City’s fourth.
Phil Foden: 7. Started on the right flank up against Aaron Wan-Bissaka and made some decent progress down that side. Finished off City’s fourth goal after a dreadful error by West Ham and looked more like himself. Late clash with Konstantinos Mavropanos left both players hurt after he became lone striker when Erling Haaland went off.
Erling Haaland: 8. Fed on scraps but eventually struck with a lovely header after getting on the end of Savinho’s cross. Looked like he injured himself in the second half but carried on to score a second goal – set up by Savinho again.
Ilkay Gundogan (on for Mateo Kovacic, 61): 6. Settled into the deep lying midfield role to give Mateo Kovacic a rest.
Kyle Walker (on for Nathan Ake, 61): 6. Still looks behind the pace, booked and failed to prevent Tomas Soucek getting his cross in for the West Ham goal.
James McAtee (on for Savinho, 80): No time to mark.
Jack Grealish (on for Erling Haaland, 84): No time to mark
GOALS – Manchester City 4, West Ham 1
Man City 1, West Ham 0: 10. Savinho scored with the help of a deflection off Vladimir Coufal (whose deflection went down as an own goal) after West Ham failed to clear an attack down the City left flank.
Man City 2, West Ham 0: 42. Erling Haaland scores another header from close range after getting on the end of a superb cross by Savinho – who went past Vladimir Coufal – after Phil Foden’s cross field pass released him.
Man City 3, West Ham 0: 55. Savinho got the ball and in midfield, threaded it through to Erling Haaland who took it in his stride and lifted it above a grounded Alphonse Areola from 7 yards out.
Man City 4, West Ham 0: 58. West Ham made a hash out of playing out from the back and Kevin De Bruyne pushed them when City were handed the ball by sliding it to Phil Foden who scored City’s 4th from 8 yards out.
Man City 4, West Ham 1: 71. Niclas Fullkrug swept home the ball after 12 yards out after Thomas Soucek’s cross from the left found him.
MATCH STATS – Manchester City 4, West Ham 1
Man City: Ortega, Lewis, Akanji, Ake (Walker 61), Gvardiol, Kovacic (Gundogan 61), Silva, Savinho (McAtee 80), De Bruyne (C), Foden, Haaland (Grealish 84)
Man City Subs not used: Carson, Doku, Nunes, Simpson-Pusey, O’Reilly
Bookings: Kovacic 29 (foul on Crysencio Summerville); Walker 64 (foul on Crysencio Summerville)
Goals: Coufal og 10; Haaland 42, 55; Foden 58
West Ham: Areola, Coufal, Todibo (Mavropanos 53), Kilman, Wan-Bissaka, Alvarez (Ings 87), Soucek (C), Kudus (Guilherme 72), Paqueta, Summerville, Fullkrug
West Ham Subs not used: Foderingham, Cresswell, Soler, Mavropanos, Rodriguez, Irving, Scarles
Bookings: Fullkrug 14 (shirt pull on Savinho)
Goal: Fullkrug 71
Manager Booking: Julen Lopetegui 22 (dissent)
Referee: Michael Salisbury