Manchester City F.C.
·4 January 2025
Manchester City F.C.
·4 January 2025
City welcomed in 2025 in winning fashion as an Erling Haaland brace along with a Vladimir Coufal own goal and Phil Foden strike saw us defeat West Ham 4-1 at the Etihad.
Haaland struck either side of the break and in the process became the third highest Premier League scorer at the Etihad, extending his tally to 46 overall.
Both goals were set up by the impressive Savinho who had had earlier helped fire City ahead, his 10th minute shot being deflected in by Coufal.
Foden’s 66th minute effort then helped add the gloss to a memorable afternoon that saw skipper Kevin De Bruyne chalk up his 400th City career appearance.
Though Niklas Fullkrug struck on 71 minutes for the visitors it proved little more than a consolation effort.
Victory also made it back-to-back wins for Pep Guardiola’s side to ensure we began the New Year in ideal style.
With snow and ice forecast later in the day there was a cold, chilly backdrop to the game as the action got underway.
In what was our first game of 2025, City had stepped out looking to build on the momentum of last weekend’s 2-0 win at Leicester.
However, it was the Hammers who created the game’s first opening on six minutes, a quickfire break stretching City’s backline with Mohammed Kudus bursting through on the right edge of the box.
Fortunately, however the Ghanaian could only drill a 12-yard shot into the side netting.
There was another warning for City three minutes later as another visitors’ attack ended with Thomas Soucek drilling a shot wide from an inviting Kudus assist.
It was a wake-up call – and City responded in exemplary fashion by taking a 10th minute with our first meaningful attack of the game via a Vladimir Coufal own goal.
Savinho was the architect, the Brazilian winger firing an angled effort in from the left edge of the box and the ball took a crucial defection off Coufal to wrong foot Hammers’ keeper Alphonse Areola and fire City ahead.
There was then another heart in the mouth moment when the dangerous Crysencio Somerville broke clear of Manuel Akanji and looked to be one on one with Stefan Ortega.
However, referee Michael Salisbury blew for a foul in the Swiss defender – much to the Etihad’s relief.
A bursting run by Josko Gvardiol on the half hour got the Etihad crowd on their feet again but from the resulting lay-off a low dipping Savinho effort was gratefully gobbled up by Areola.
Two minutes a wonderful City move almost resulted in a second goal. A pinpoint De Bruyne ball picked out the advancing Erling Haaland.
The Norwegian squared the ball back to the advancing Bernardo Silva in the centre of the Hammers box whose goal bound shot was somehow kept out by Areola’s legs.
And the Hammers keeper then earned his spurs again on 38 minutes spectacularly diving to his right to keep out an arcing Rico Lewis effort.
City were not to be denied however and a second goal arrived on 42 minutes via the familiar figure of Erling Haaland.
The impressive Savinho was again the architect, the Brazilian latching onto an fine Foden ball before then powering past Coufal on the left flank before delivering a quite wonderful looping cross to the back post.
Haaland needed no second invitation to leap and guide home what was his 45th league goal at the Etihad.
It was a crucial cushion for the Blues but five minutes after the restart came a reminder that there was work still to be done, Ortega needing to be alert to deal with a Coufal effort after fine initial drive by Summerville.
Once again that alert sparked the perfect response – and once more it was the Savinho/Haaland combo that did the trick on 56 minutes.
A brilliant Savinho through ball sliced the Hammers defence open and put Haaland in the clear.
The City striker rounded Areola before despatching the most delicate of chips for his second and City’s third – with Haaland in the process also becoming the third highest Premier League scorer at the Etihad.
One sensed the Hammers’ resistance starting to dissipate and within two minutes City further extended our lead through Foden.
De Bruyne seized onto an errant West Ham pass before teeing up Foden who made no mistake from 12 yards.
To their credit, the Hammers kept pushing with Ortega needing to be alert to deny Soucek on 67 minutes.
And their persistence paid off when they finally breached the City back line on 70 minutes, Niclas Fullkrug firing home from Soucek's inviting pass.
However that effort failed to take the gloss off what was an ideal way to kick-start the New Year for the reigning champions.
CITY XI: Ortega Moreno, Lewis, Akanji, Ake (Walker 61), Gvardiol, Kovacic (Gundogan 61), De Bruyne (C), Bernardo, Savinho (McAtee 81), Foden, Haaland (Grealish 83)
Subs: Carson, Doku, Nunes, Simpson-Pusey, O'Reilly
WEST HAM XI: Areola, Coufal, Todibo (Mavropanos 53), Kilman, Wan-Bissaka, Alvarez, Soucek (C), Paqueta, Kudus, Fullkrug, Summerville
Subs: Foderingham, Cresswell, Soler, Guilherme, Ings, Rodriguez, Irving, Scarles
Att: 52, 737.
For the second game running Savinho again really caught the eye with a vibrant display of attacking wing play.
With his confidence buoyed by his first goal for the Club at Leicester last weekend, the Brazilian picked up where he had left off.
It was his drive and shot that led to City’s opener via Coufal’s deflection.
And Savinho then delivered a quite stunning cross to set up Haaland’s header before following suit with a sublime pass for Erling's second and City's third.
It all augurs well looking to the rest of the season and beyond.
The sight of the West Ham defence seems to bring the best out of Erling Haaland!
His brace today marked the Norwegian striker’s eighth and ninth Premier League strikes against the Londoners in just six appearance and also took his overall league tally at the Etihad to 46.
That elevated him to third in the all-time Premier League tally of Etihad goal scorers.
Not too shabby!
To follow
To follow
Victory sees City remain in sixth place in the Premier League table.
Pep Guardiola’s side now have 34 points from 20 games and lie a point behind fifth placed Newcastle United
The focus switches to the FA Cup for our next match.
City are back at the Etihad a week today on Saturday, January 11 when we play host to Salford City in the third round of the Cup.
Kick-off at the Etihad is slated for 17.45pm (UK).