Manchester City 2, West Ham 0
Goals by Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne sealed an easy victory for Manchester City over West Ham following their winter break.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe game had been postponed from earlier in the month after a deluge from Storm Ciara and was overshadowed by news of a two year ban from the Champions League by UEFA.
City had to shrug off mid-season cobwebs as Gabriel Jesus missed a couple of good opportunities in the first half, including one when clean through for City.
City fans celebrated a 30th minute lead through Rodri’s header from Kevin De Bruyne’s corner with an ad hoc chant ‘F*** UEFA’ after West Ham fans’ responded to the goal by chanting ‘1-0 to the cheating C***s’ after the home side laboured to break down the Hammers’ 5-4-1 low block.
David Silva had created much but also got on the end of a Bernardo Silva cross to stab wide under pressure from Lucasz Fabianski.
Ryan Fredericks put his shoulder out after running into Rodri and was stretchered off to be replaced by former City player Pablo Zabaleta after an hour – and that drew the biggest cheer of the night for the City legend.
Less than two minutes later De Bruyne arrowed a fierce shot home from six yards out after he improvised after exchanged passes with David Silva.
Silva had to go off late in the game with what looked like a hamstring strain with five minutes to go and was replaced by Phil Foden as City comfortably saw out the game.
PLAYER RATINGS – Manchester City 2, West Ham 0
Ederson: 6. Nothing to do all night.
Kyle Walker: 7. Some crosses from the right
Nicolas Otamendi: 7. Applauded for one adventurous foray into West Ham territory.
Aymeric Laporte: 7. Very quiet night. Replaced by John Stones.
Benjamin Mendy: 7. Auxiliary attacker.
Rodrigo: 8. Little danger to take care – he outpassed the entire West Ham team 178 (out go 188 attempted passes) to 169 for West Ham and kept recycling the ball throughout.
Kevin De Bruyne: 8. Slow start but proved the difference maker with a goal and an assist.
David Silva: 7. Some great vision to pick West Ham apart. Set up Kevin De Bruyne for his goal after ironically overhitting a touch. Went off with a concerning hamstring injury late on.
Bernardo Silva: 7. Stationed wide on the right, somewhat isolated but some good moments in keeping the ball and trying to pull West Ham out of shape.
Gabriel Jesus: 6. Worked hard but wasted great chances to score
Sergio Aguero: 7. Inventive shooting and build up, denied a penalty shout by an offside call.
John Stones (on for Aymeric Laporte. 65): 6. Confidence boosting night.
Ilkay Gundogan (on for Kevin De Bruyne, 79): No time to mark
Phil Foden (on for David Silva. 85): No time to mark
GOALS – Manchester City 2, West Ham 0
Man City 1, West Ham 0: 30. Kevin De Bruyne’s cross was headed by Rodri into the back of the West Ham net with Aymeric Laporte following it in on the line to make sure
Man City 2, West Ham 0: 62. Kevin De Bruyne slotted home from 6 yards at the near post after exchanging passes with David Silva
MATCH STATS – Manchester City 2, West Ham 0
Man City: Ederson, Walker, Otamendi, Laporte (Stones 65), Mendy, Rodrigo, De Bruyne (Gundogan 79), David Silva (C) (Foden 85), Bernardo Silva, Jesus, Aguero
Man City Subs not used: Bravo, Fernandinho, Mahrez, Cancelo, Foden
Goals: Rodrigo 30, De Bruyne 62
West Ham: Fabianski, Fredericks (Zabaleta 59), Ogbonna, Cresswell, Masuaku, Soucek, Rice, Noble, Snodgrass (Bowen 80), Antonio
West Ham Subs not used: Randolph, Balbuena, Felipe Anderson, Lanzini, Haller
Booking: Masuaku 45 (foul on Kevin De Bruyne)
Referee: Kevin Friend