West Ham 1-3 Man City (Ward-Prowse 36’| Doku 46′, Silva 76′, Haaland 86′)
LONDON STADIUM — Two reigning European champions met in east London, but only one looked worthy of the title as Manchester City eventually broke the backs and spirits of a resilient West Ham.
Despite a powerful defensive performance from the home side, City continued their perfect Premier League start thanks to an attacking barrage that included 29 shots and 69 per cent possession.
David Moyes’ side took the lead through James Ward-Prowse’s diving header against all statistical probability, yet a second-half City blitz ensured Pep Guardiola witnessed a win on his touchline return.
Pre-match, Moyes said: “We’ve not gone out all week and practised how we’re going to stay behind the ball,” but you wouldn’t have known it. All eleven West Ham players spent a significant slice of the game between their goal and the ball.
Through a smorgasbord of saves from the sensational Alphonse Areola and goal-line clearances from Nayef Aguerd and Tomas Soucek, the home side kept all 17 of City’s first-half shots out of the net, and all but two of their second-half 12. A game that flirted with euphoria for West Ham could just have easily ended in utter embarrassment.
This was in part due to an uncharacteristically wasteful afternoon for Erling Haaland. Presented with four noticeably golden chances, City’s goal machine malfunctioned, as often thwarted by his own missteps as Areola’s brilliance. Of course he still managed to get on the scoresheet, channelling his anger into a close-range shot slapped home, but he could just have easily had five.
Yet as it so often the case for Pep Guardiola’s side, it simply didn’t matter. One man can afford to have a slow day when 10 others perform. Julian Alvarez created both goals and hit the post from a free-kick. Josko Gvardiol let nothing past him and fired potshots at goal like an opportunistic striker. Ederson was rarely called upon, yet exceptional when needed.
Doku was a devastating force down the left-wing, railing against West Ham’s defensive stoicism, facing up to a seemingly unbreakable lock with 1000 possible keys and hope in his heart. His first City goal came within a minute of the second half beginning, driving at the home defence and cutting inside, before arching the ball past Areola.
This was an equaliser totally deserved and yet somehow still a shock. Having picked up 10 points from their first 12 games, West Ham were shrouded in the optimistic glow that comes with good form. Having already beaten Chelsea here this season, there was an odd feeling of comfortable inevitability when Ward-Prowse opened the scoring.
Yet Doku was at fault for the opener, miscuing his header and allowing Jarrod Bowen to find Vladimir Coufal. Coufal then found space on the right, allowing him to delicately chip a cross into the onrushing Ward-Prowse on 34 minutes.
The ex-Southampton midfielder then shed Manuel Akanji like a hoodie on a hot day to dive ball-wards, drilling his header past a stranded Ederson. It was both thoroughly deserved on the basis of West Ham’s defensive efforts and thoroughly undeserved for their previous attacking contributions.
Yet after Doku’s equaliser, City smelled blood and enforced their will on the game, as is their wont. Bernardo Silva lifted a delicate dink past Areola with 14 minutes left to play, before Haaland’s drive 10 minutes later ensured the scoreline at least partly reflected what had taken place inside the former Olympic Stadium.
While the two sets of fans were equal in the voracity with which they sung “Champions of Europe, we know what we are”, these sides were equals in no other way. For all the optimism around the Moyesball regeneration and West Ham’s bright start, this was a brutal reminder of the gulf between Guardiola’s champions and any other hopeful challengers.
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