Erling Haaland delivered a masterclass, scoring two goals and setting up another, as Manchester City secured a dominant 3-0 Premier League victory over West Ham United at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday 20 December 2025.
City's Early Dominance Sets the Tone
The match was effectively decided within the opening minutes. Manchester City took the lead after just five minutes of play. A fluid move down the left saw Nico Gonzalez find Phil Foden, whose cut-back was met by Haaland. His initial right-footed effort was saved by Alphonse Areola, but the prolific Norwegian made no mistake with the rebound, hammering the ball home with his left foot.
City controlled possession with ease, patiently waiting for openings. West Ham offered little threat in the first half, with a Jarrod Bowen cross that evaded everyone being their only notable moment. Haaland could have doubled his tally early on but headed a perfect Rayan Cherki cross wide of the target.
Reijnders Seals Control Before Half-Time
The home side's relentless pressure told again before the interval. After Tijjani Reijnders had forced a save from Areola, the Dutch midfielder found the net in the 40th minute. Cherki won the ball from Mateus Fernandes and drove into the box, feeding Haaland. With no room to shoot, Haaland cleverly laid it off for Reijnders, who smashed the ball into the roof of the net from close range.
Haaland Ices the Game and Hammers' Woes Deepen
West Ham showed more energy after the break, with Gianluigi Donnarumma making a smart stop from Freddie Potts and Fernandes blasting the rebound over. Jarrod Bowen also dragged a shot wide. However, City extinguished any hope of a comeback in the 69th minute. A swift attack involving substitutes Savinho and Rico Lewis ended with the ball falling to Haaland in the box. After two West Ham defenders failed to clear, the striker pounced to rifle a low shot past Areola for his second of the afternoon.
Haaland was inches away from a hat-trick in stoppage time, firing just wide in the closing seconds. The comprehensive win marks City's fifth consecutive Premier League victory, applying significant pressure on Arsenal at the summit. For David Moyes's West Ham, a lacklustre performance extends their winless run to six matches, condemning them to spend the Christmas period in the relegation zone.
The result also highlighted Haaland's incredible scoring form, with his double taking his combined tally for club and country this season to an astonishing 38 goals.
