Manchester City 3-0 West Ham: Erling Haaland dominated with two goals and an assist as Pep Guardiola’s crosswind took them to the top of the Premier League as they beat the Hammers.
Manchester City easily won against West Ham thanks to the performance of Erling Haaland, putting pressure on Arsenal. City went into the home game knowing they could top the Premier League with five consecutive league wins, and they got the job done.
Haaland put City ahead after just five minutes and set the tone with a 1-0 win for the 10th time in 17 Premier League games this season. The Norwegian striker then turned provider with Tijani Lijnders scoring after 38 minutes.
This fluid movement provoked a direct reaction of disbelief from manager Josep Guardiola, but the demanding City manager was still frustrated at half-time despite his team leading 2-0, and it was such reassurance that got the better of Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.
Former Everton midfielder Leon Osman pointed out on BBC Radio 5 Live: “Pep Guardiola is really frustrating. Sometimes it’s because of bad decision-making and sometimes it’s because of the speed of his passing.” “Even though the score was in their favor, he wants more from the team.”
read more: Southampton vs Coventry ends in huge brawl with players chasing Frank Lampardread more: VAR technology fails, Newcastle vs Chelsea decision explained
Guardiola need not have worried. Midway through the second half, Jarrod Bowen threatened Gianluigi Donnarumma’s goal for the first time, but his shot went wide and the mistake proved costly.
West Ham’s defense was a bit shaky and the ball bounced off Haaland inside the penalty area, leading to the inevitable result. His second goal of the game was his 104th in the Premier League, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo’s 103 goals in all competitions, 122 games fewer.
The 25-year-old goalscorer has scored 19 goals in 17 Premier League games this season and is on pace to break his previous record of 36 goals set in 2022/23. He has scored 25 goals in 23 games in all competitions and shows no signs of slowing down.
The win was City’s seventh straight win in all competitions and their fifth straight league point since losing 2-1 to Newcastle at St James’s Park on 22 November. Crucially, the win took City to 37 points, one ahead of Arsenal, who could regain top spot when they play Everton away at 8pm on Saturday night.
City went into this game without Rodri, John Stones, Jeremy Doku and Oscar Bobb, but looked formidable thanks in part to the presence of Rayan Cherki, who was the benefactor of Doku’s injury. The £34m summer signing from Lyon has been compared to Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne by Guardiola in the run-up to the match, and has been playing on a complete free roll of late. He once again enjoyed his time at the Etihad, but it was Haaland who stole the show.
His constant consistency in front of goal is incredible and is one of the main factors in City’s favor as they face Arsenal in the title race, with the Gunners lacking a clinical goalscorer. Arsenal fans may fear City’s fighting machine if they click into gear during the festival period.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check it out whenever you like. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Sky Sports Premier League and EFL package discounts
£49
£35
sky
Get the deal here
Sky has reduced the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 on their bill and offering more than 1,400 live matches from Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will broadcast at least 215 live Premier League matches next season, with an increase of up to 100 more.
