WEST HAM 1, MANCHESTER CITY 4
With the Premier League title already in the bag, Manchester City’s attention has turned to making their mark on the Premier League record books and Raheem Sterling was the man who was behind City’s sparkling performance in London at West Ham today, the provider of goals for Leroy Sane, Gabriel Jesus, and Fernandinho while ex-City defender Pablo Zabaleta turned the ball into his own net.
With 93 points, 30 wins, and 102 goals with a goal difference of +76, City have already matched the all time Premier League wins, are 2 points behind Chelsea’s points total record, with three games to go and there’s little doubt that by the end of the season these and more records will tumble.
Pep Guardiola made four changes from the side that emphatically beat Swansea at the Etihad last week. Vincent Kompany, Danilo, Bernardo Silva and David Silva were replaced in the starting line-up for City by Kyle Walker, Nicolas Otamendi, Fernandinho, and Leroy Sane returned.
On-loan Joe Hart was ineligible to face his parent club for West Ham but there was at least one familiar face in the Hammers line-up, with City legend Pablo Zabaleta starting for David Moyes’ side.
City certainly started at a canter with Sane producing the opening goal with the help of a deflection off Patrice Evra past Adrian after 13 minutes.
Aaron Cresswell almost got on the end of a Manual Lanzini ball into the heart of the six yard box for West Ham but Ederson cleared the ball.
City doubled their lead after a multi-pass move started by Fernandinho ended bouncing off Zabaleta from Declan Rice’s attempt to clear Kevin De Bruyne’s cross on 27 minutes.
Adrian denied Sane a third and Marko Arnautovic had a goal ruled out for a foul on Ederson before the Hammers pulled one back after Edimilson Fernandes was fouled by Ilkay Gundogan.
Replays showed that Fernandes may have been inside the area after the German midfielder tripped him in the 42nd minute, while Zabaleta’s forward pass to start the move may have been offside in the first place but Cresswell’s sumptuous free kick beat Ederson and made things a lot more interesting for the home fans.
Gabriel Jesus timed his run to perfection to meet Raheem Sterling’s cross into the area from six yards, neatly finishing past Adrian to restore City’s two goal lead after 53 minutes – his 16th strike of the season.
Sterling was denied a clear penalty after 58 minutes after having his legs swept away from him by Cresswell and was instead penalised for diving.
Undeterred, the England winger kept working the right flank and was denied a goal by a great save by Adrian before he laid on City’s fourth goal in the 64th minute, exchanging passes with Fernandinho who drilled the ball into the bottom corner of Adrian’s net from 13 yards out for only his fourth goal of the season.
The Hammers were spared a pasting after Gabriel Jesus’ effort was cleared off the line by Zabaleta late on – and the goal difference could very well save them at the end of the season as they go into the final three games of what will be a tough relegation scrap.