Considering our general experiences playing Citeh since they became what they are today have been less than fun, none of you may care if a detail is missed or a name misplaced.
The Hammers got off to a lively start with good ball control and energy. It almost culminated with an early goal when Kudus sent a cross into the box from the left that Antonio was able to attack. He seemed to mis-read the flight of the ball and didn’t make clean contact, because if he had he would have scored. A minute later Bowen had a look from twenty yards out but his left footed effort was punched away by Ederson. It was a nice start.
The visitors had a great chance of their own in the 6th minute when Grealish and Silva combined on the left before Silva lofted a pass to Haaland in front of goal, but his header went over the bar. Two minutes later it was Grealish again on the left creating, this time setting up De Bruyne for a low shot that Alvarez blocked. A minute later City won a corner, but Gvardiol’s header went wide. But two minutes later Paqueta was sloppy on the ball after a poor pass from Emerson and City made him and West Ham pay the price. Silva was the pickpocket who handed the wallet to Haaland for the getaway. Not the way to impress the man you want to be your future boss.
West Ham were once again sloppy in possession and Grealish pounced, winning a corner. City played it short, and De Bruyne tried a one timer that required a world class save from Areola to keep the deficit at one. After a good few minutes by West Ham at the start, the action settled into what we have come to expect from this fixture. City on the ball like they literally have legal possession of it, West Ham virtually begging for a breather.
More of the same ensued in the 18th minute when Doku found De Bruyne in the West Ham eighteen yard box but his shot went off the woodwork. A minute later, literally out of nowhere, Bowen was launched on a run down the right. He sent a cross into the box that took a deflection off of Dias and nestled itself into the back of the net. Undeservedly, West Ham were level.
City won a corner in the 25th minute when De Bruyne sent a ball into the box that Kilman wanted no part of and sent it behind. The set piece came to Gvardiol near the top of the box but his header had no pace and Areola gathered it up. It didn’t take long, however, for the defending Champions to cycle it back around for another round of attack. They won another corner when Doku tried a low ball into the box that Alvarez booted behind.
City regained their lead in the 30th minute when they moved the ball around the outside of the West Ham penalty area with so many quick passes I decided not to review the details once the ball was slammed into the top of the net by Haaland. Even as a spectator you feel like screaming “just stop for a SECOND!”.
The onslaught continued in the 38th minute when Silva passed to Haaland, who then became a passer in his own right with a nice delivery for Lewis. Having just received his first England call up, the nineteen year old would have loved to cap off his week with a goal. This attempt went over the bar, but the day was still somewhat young. Two minutes later Doku won a corner after driving through a fairly static West Ham defense. Silva tried a header that Alvarez booted away, but City just came back down. The camera showed Lopetegui, arms crossed, with a look that wasn’t really angry or upset. Just accepting of the situation.
City won a free kick from just outside the West Ham penalty area when Alvarez took down Haaland. With De Bruyne lined up to take it, even with a wall and hardly any space to work, he missed the top corner by an inch. A minute later West Ham had a half chance of their own when Kudus sent a low ball into the box that just missed both the far corner and the onrushing Antonio.
The second half began with a surprise substitution as Areola was replaced by Fabianski. Probably by the time this is up on Iain’s site we will know why.
West Ham showed great energy and verve in the 52nd minute when Kudus and Bowen launched a counter attack. Paqueta passed to Kudus from deep inside the West Ham penalty area and away he went. With the City defense stretched, the two Hammers worked the ball wonderfully before Kudus slammed his shot against the bar. It was oh so close, and it was the beginning of a decent stretch for the Hammers. They passed the ball around, made runs, and showed no fear.
West Ham won a corner in the 60th minute when Akanji was able to get to a Bowen pass intended for Antonio right in front of Ederson. The delivery was cleared by the City back line, but only as far as Rodriguez who tried a long range shot that went wide. West Ham continued to try and catch their guests on the break, and it was somewhat effective in that City had to defend in and around their own box. Three minutes later City was back on the prowl with Grealish rolling a pass to Silva in the West Ham penalty area but his shot was no problem for Fabianski.
You don’t have many opportunities when you play City, so when Kudus went on a run in the 64th minute with support around him, his misplaced pass right to Kovacic was a real letdown. I adore Kudus, but if there is one criticism of him that I have heard and agree with it’s that he runs a lot with his head down. He doesn’t seem to survey the scene at times, and that was a situation like that. Regardless, a match that had the look of a total beatdown looked more like a football match with two sides.
Kudus won a corner in the 70th minute when Paqueta found him with a fine pass to the corner of the City eighteen yard box. He tried to turn Lewis, but won the set piece instead. The delivery from Bowen was good, but Kilman’s header couldn’t find the target. Before the set piece, Fullkrug and Coufal came on for Antonio and Emerson. City won a corner of their own a few minutes later when Kilman disrupted an attempted one-two pass sequence by Silva and De Bruyne, and then handled the set piece.
West Ham had a chance in the 79th minute when Kudus closed down Silva and won the ball deep in City territory. He found West Ham’s most recent substitute Soucek in the box, and for an instant you wondered if the late match heroics that have become part of his living legend would happen again. Sadly for our boys in Claret & Blue his shot bounced harmlessly wide.
City finally put the game to bed in the 84th minute when the man Peter Drury called “just different”, Haaland, was sent on a run at the end of a blistering attack and calmly flicked the ball over Fabianski. Hat Trick yet again.
In added time, both teams had a chance to score what would have been meaningless goals in terms of the outcome. Haaland tried to beat Fabianski through his legs, and Summerville hooked a shot that went off the outside of the post.
For the third consecutive match between these two side, Manchester City came out on top by a 3-1 score line. And while the television presenters here said they thought City’s performance was as good as they had seen, I thought we were a far more useful side than we had been in previous meetings with them. We cannot judge us against this team. Even when they lost to Real Madrid last year they totally dominated them. If we play like this most weeks, we will win more games than we lose.
At least I hope so.
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