Premier LeagueWest Ham United 1-3 Manchester City
Saturday, 31st August 2024
by Chris Wilkerson
West Ham United fell to their second defeat of the season as Erling Haaland scored back-to-back hat tricks to put The Hammers to the sword in an entertaining 3-1 loss for Lopetegui's side.
A Ruben Dias own goal had levelled things for West Ham after the big Norwegian and his cohorts had punished a Paqueta mistake in possession to open the scoring, but the goalscoring machine clicked into overdrive to give his side all three points.West Ham looked better than many recent showings against Guardiola's perpetual champions, looking more confident on the ball and less overawed by their opponents, certainly less accepting of their fate, even if the game still followed the familiar pattern of City dominance.
Lopetegui shuffled his pack from last week's victory over Crystal Palace, with Wan-Bissaka's excellent cameo earning him a starting place and Edson Alvarez's steel replacing Tomas Soucek, with Paqueta moving into that slightly more flexible third midfielder role with more freedom to get forward, whilst still dropping deep.
The Hammers did start fast and looked to disrupt their illustrious visitors, pressing high and playing at a direct and rampant pace.
They could have led within two minutes, a Kudus cross from the left looping and dropping down to the far post with Antonio attacking it. He looked set to make it and surely tap home from a couple of yards, but Gvardiol just got there first and poked it clear.
A minute later, Bowen slapped a shot at goal from the edge of the box that forced Ederson to just swat it away. The crowd were up, enthused by the determined start they had been offered.
That revved-up start did little to discomfit Manchester City, robust confidence much easier to find after four successive title-winning seasons. Haaland soon threatened, a Grealish cross held up to the far post headed over with the big Norwegian having found space in the box.
The visitors maintained pressure, and pressure can cause mistakes. West Ham were the architects of their own downfall when handing City a lead after 10 minutes, but this is the atmosphere these behemoths create.
That makes it no less frustrating to have seen as Emerson and Paqueta combined to throw away the clean sheet, all from their own possession.
It was simple in the West Ham half, tight on the left wing as Emerson got the ball off Paqueta, but when immediately giving it back, hitting his five-yard pass behind his Brazilian friend. Paqueta stumbled at it, flicking a lazy leg to try regain control of the ball and only knocking it an extra step behind him.
Bernardo Silva was in like a flash, seeing the lack of control on the ball and knowing he could steal possession. He did, and the Portuguese midfielder instantly passed through to Haaland, who had moved into space between the centre backs. He turned, open his body up and passed the ball into the corner, Areola guessing left as Haaland rolled it into his bottom right corner.
It nearly happened again a couple of minutes later as Mavropanos, in a mistake becoming customary for the Greek defender, stepped into midfield, dawdled and then panicked in possession. City pounced, taking possession and driving through the centre of the West Ham half, with De Bruyne leading the charge.
The Belgian midfielder rolled it left to Grealish in a threatening position, but the move had slowed enough for Mavropanos to get back, recover and block the shot from the England international.
The resulting corner went short, but quickly back to De Bruyne, who smartly saw Areola moving away from his line for the cross he expected, leaving a gap at his front post. He whipped a curling shot at that near post space, but was thwarted by the excellent reaction of the goalkeeper, who threw himself back to make the acrobatic stop.
City were looking to quickly take the game away from their hosts and nearly doubled their on 18 minutes as De Bruyne went even closer. This time, Doku carried down the right and drove at Emerson, pushing the full back into the box and then cutting it back to the middle and the edge for his Belgium teammate. He opened his body up and curled a lovely shot with the inside of his boot, only to see the ball smack the inside of the post with Areola rooted to his spot.
Not a minute later, West Ham were level. With the visitors on the front foot, Guardiola's side were high and looking to force mistakes in West Ham's half.
It gave Bowen space to get running with it when he receiving down the right, after good work from Kudus and Paqueta.. Carrying from deep, the winger drove forward and soon found himself nearing the box. He pushed it down the right-hand side of the area and hit a low ball across goal, just into the space behind the defenders and ahead of Ederson.
Six yards from goal, Ruben Dias couldn't resist the ball as it went by, flicking out a leg and finding only contact with his knee, and enough of it to divert the ball at goal and past Ederson into the back of the net. From nothing, West Ham were level.
Just like with the fast start, Manchester City didn't look to have been bothered at all by the goal. Back they went to their tried and trusted style, controlling the ball and controlling the game with it. 10 minutes after the home side had drawn level, the Champions restored their lead.
This one was a real case of the cutting edge and class a team can have with a goalscorer like Haaland leading the line. With The Hammers in possession, City turned the ball over and sprang forward. Even with good numbers back, settled in shape, the passing of Grealish, Kovacic and Lewis moved the ball quick enough to find some space, and with that they found a ball into Haaland's feet just inside the box.
One touch to set himself was quickly followed by an absolute rocket of a hit. It didn't find a corner, but it was enough out of Areola's reach to beat him, such was the pace the ball was struck with. It smashed into the roof of the net and past Areola before a hand had really moved to stop it. 2-1 in the blink of an eye.
Lewis could have made it three before the break, sharp football ending with a nice Haaland pass into space for Lewis in the box, but the full back skewed wide from close range.
A late opening gave the Hammers some hope going into the second half, a reminder that their counter threat held danger. A diagonal ball by Alvarez got Kudus running at Lewis, the Ghanaian forcing the defender back into his own box and hitting low across goal, but too far ahead of a stretching Antonio and just wide.
It was a spark of hope for the home side. Despite the scoreline, they can be pleased with their first-half performance. The mistake was foolish, but the Haaland second was an example of how fine the margins are when the players are the best in the world.
Areola was replaced in the break having collided with the post in the first half, but that precautionary substitution was the only change made during the interval.
Lopetegui did make some tweaks to the shape of his side, with Alvarez dropping into the back three and Paqueta coming deeper to try stop City finding so much space in dangerous areas.
Getting the Brazilian deeper can be a big help for West Ham progressing the ball forward with more skill and speed. Their best chance of the half came from this, with Paqueta staying calm and composed inside his own six-yard box to pass out and find Kudus.
Coming in off the left, Kudus turned his man to protect the ball and then get flying, he and Bowen pushing forward on a quick counter.
The pair exchanged passes before it was Kudus with it again and in on goal. Forced a touch wide by the Bowen pass, Kudus was going a little to his left as he approached goal and put everything behind it as he smashed at goal, only to see the ball smack the inside of the post and bounce clear with Ederson beaten.
West Ham couldn't make another chance quite as good for the rest of the game, but they did threaten. In fact, in a game where the visitors did control the ball, a five-minute spell just before the hour saw the home side with 60% of possession and pushing to get the equaliser.
A lovely ball from Paqueta was beautifully taken by Bowen, but he could find nobody when squaring across the box. Moments later, Bowen drove at goal from out wide and passed to Antonio at the near post, but the struggling striker saw his shot blocked.
There was even half a chance for Emerson after sharp passing got him into space running at the box, but he couldn't make anything of it.
Those fleeting moments are always easier to remember in defeat, and especially so when you know that an opponent of this quality is unlikely to let you have many again.
Once Silva had missed a big chance in space after Grealish found him in the box, it seemed to awaken the beast. Whatever tweaks Lopetegui had made, whatever weakness he felt he might have exploited, the machine eventually found the solution and once again the champions took over.
Soon Dias could have extended the lead, if only he could have extended his leg a little further when trying to reaching a lovely De Bruyne cross at the far post.
City were turning the screw, so Lopetegui went to his bench to freshen things up. On came Fullkrug for Antonio, whilst Coufal came on at right back for Emerson, with Wan-Bissaka going to the left.
There was half a chance for Kilman after a Bowen corner found him, but seemed to surprise the centre back as it hit his head and flew over. But the West Ham players had obviously been given the signal to try find an equaliser before time ran out.
Soon Soucek was on for Alvarez, leaving more space again for City to exploit, a route which the initial change at half time had looked to close.
You could very quickly see why Alvarez had been moved there, the visitors now finding gaps between the centre back and full backs when closing around the area in attack.
The Hammers again failed to make their moments pay as Kudus regained possession down the left wing and passed to Fullkrug in the box, but the German forward failed to find a shooting position, before his pass to Soucek left him struggling to sort his feet out and dragging a poor shot wide.
With West Ham pushing forward, there was bound to be more space. And Pep's side exposed it in devastating fashion.
Possession inside the City half was suddenly in midfield, and with the game stretched, West Ham had to leave space as they chased a goal. The pass going so quickly into midfield completely opened up the pitch, and it was an easy pass through to Haaland as he darted between the centre backs and pushed at goal.
The striker took it on calmly, getting close to the edge and then chipping it over a despairing Fabianski to get his second hat-trick of the season and his side's third win in their opening three fixtures. As simple as that, it was done.
Summerville replaced Bowen, but it seemed almost everybody knew the game was up.
West Ham can take heart from their performance, which could have ended with a point were some rougher parts improved on. City will feel they were always in enough control and capable of more, but did not have it as easy as many of their visits to the London Stadium.
West Ham can look back at this group of opening fixtures with a mixture of frustration and hope. The first game was a disappointment, but the win at Palace and moments within this game can leave fans confident in what is being built by the new manager.
The window ended with the signing of Carlos Soler in midfield, who should add a touch of class and creativity, whilst the likes of Zouma, Aguerd, Cornet and Ward-Prowse made their exits. The former two have faltered at the club, but will forever be part of the side that lifted the Conference League trophy.
For Cornet, it seems injury prevented him from ever finding his feet at the club, whilst James Ward-Prowse ends up as somewhat of a surprise departure. As the player to create most chances for West Ham last season, it seems a case that he just doesn't fit with what the manager is looking to do. All should go with best wishes of the support.
Manager Rating
Julen Lopetegui 8/10: The tweak at half time was vital in slowing City's momentum and ability to occupy difficult to track spaces. And a lot of respect goes to the manager for taking the risk to chase an equaliser, even if it probably opened the side up to concede. It's the same points, take the risk.
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Click to view all West Ham United vs Manchester City match reports Click to view all match reports by Chris Wilkerson Like to share your thoughts on this article? Please visit the KUMB Forum to leave a comment.Player Ratings
Alphonse AreolaOne very good save, and then beaten by an excellent finisher before being taken off at half-time.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Solid, but struggled at times with who to pick up and what his starting position should be as City looked to make runs between centre back and full back.
Emerson Palmieri
Not as comfortable as others in the games where the side is forced deep and into lots of defending.
Konstantinos Mavropanos
One big error atoned for, Mavropanos was otherwise controlled and is proving why he's the only centre back who has survived the cull from last season.
Max Kilman
May look at Haaland's second a lot more critically than this report has. Could he have been out to him to stop the shot? It looked more like a case of the quality being so high you just have to accept it.
Edson Alvarez
With that more stable partner alongside him, Alvarez can be much more disruptive for opponents and he does look more suited to an active midfield role. He slotted in well next to Guido when required, and then looked comfortable in defence. That change might prove why the manager is comfortable letting both Aguerd and Zouma leave, the Mexican clearly a capable centre back.
Guido Rodriguez
Much more understated role compared to Alvarez, and they also have very different play styles. The dynamic, physical and somewhat dramatic play of the Mexican is contrasted with the quiet and efficient movement of Guido, who is more about positioning and simplicity.
Lucas Paqueta
The first goal was possibly more Emerson than him, but the way he flicked his leg at it looked so casual that it won't help perception. He's improving under the manager, and he does seem the only player in the team capable of playing in every third of the pitch.
Michail Antonio
Whilst he struggled to make an impact in this one, it's always very difficult for a striker against City. It's hard to see where this was the opponent and where it was Antonio's poor form. Quite a good one for him to get through early, he needs minutes to get rhythm and it's better to waste rust on someone so good you'd struggle against them at your best. Desperate silver lining, perhaps.
Mohammed Kudus
Probably West Ham's most troubling threat, his ability to turn under pressure makes him one of the best counter attacking players in the world. Unlucky with the chance, a better pass from Bowen makes that a much easier opening.
Jarrod Bowen
Forced the goal with good running and made a few other opportunities. Threatened with his pace and defended well.
Substitutes
Lukasz Fabianski(Replaced Areola, 46) Not tested like Areola, and it would be harsh to fault him on the goal.
Niclas Fullkrug
(Replaced Antonio, 71) Lacks impact. One moment he was in the game, he couldn't do anything effective with the ball in the box. He's going to need to start soon to see if that gets him into the patterns of the team quicker.
Vladimir Coufal
(Replaced Emerson, 71) Thrown on late and it didn't really work as the gamble just opened up space for City.
Tomas Soucek
(Replaced Alvarez, 77) Only real moment of interest came from Fullkrug firing a pass at him that he couldn't set himself for properly.
Crysencio Summerville
(Replaced Bowen, 84) The third goal for City ended the game.
Match Facts
West Ham United: Alphonse Areola, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Emerson Palmieri, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Max Kilman, Edson Alvarez, Guido Rodriguez, Lucas Paqueta, Michail Antonio, Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen.Goals: None.
Booked: None booked. .
Sent Off: None sent off. .
Manchester City: Ederson, Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol (Walker 88), Kovacic, Silva, Grealish (Nunes 72), De Bruyne (Ake 88), Doku (Gündogan 68), Haaland.
Subs not used: Ortega, Stones, Rodri, O’Reilly, McAtee .
Goals: Haaland (10,30,83).
Booked: De Bruyne, Akanji.
Sent off: None.
Referee: Michael Oliver.
Attendance: 62,469.
Man of the Match: Guido Rodriguez.