WestHam — City 1:3. Cityzens extend 100% streak in the new EPL season with a willful 1-3 away win over Hammers.
There is only one change in the starting line-up of the Hammers. Tomáš Souček appears instead of Saïd Benrahma.
Joško Gvardiol and Bernardo Silva return to the starting line-up for the Cityzens. They come on in place of Nathan Ake and Mateo Kovacic.
City immediately clamp down on their opponents. In the seventh minute, in one of City’s attacks, Alphonse Aréola makes two incredible saves and Souček stops the ball on the goal line.
In the 15th minute, the visitors miss a shot themselves. Erling Haaland is on the far post to block his partner’s shot with his foot, but manages to send the ball past the goal.
Gradually, the visitors’ onslaught fades away. The hosts, on the contrary, are revitalised — so much so that they open the scoring in the 36th minute. Vladimír Coufal moves with the ball and takes a cross to the goalkeeper’s box, where James Ward-Prowse folds and shoots with his head — 1:0.
Towards the end of the first half, Haaland is marked by another incredible miss from close range.
The second half starts with Jérémy Doku breaking into the penalty area from the left flank and sending the ball into the box between two defenders — 1:1.
West Ham are not discouraged and after a short pause start to respond to Manchester City’s attacks. Michail Antonio, Emerson Palmieri and Kurt Zouma have good chances to put the hosts ahead.
The denouement comes in the 76th minute, when Julian Alvarez scoopes the ball into the penalty area behind Nayef Aguerd and Bernardo Silva heads the ball over the goalkeeper – 1:2.
Ten minutes later, Haaland seals the victory for the visitors by shooting at Aréola from outside the penalty area after Silva’s pass – 1:3.
West Ham play almost on equal terms with City in the first half, but as soon as the second half starts, the Hammers lose the thread of the game and eventually suffer defeat