Manchester City delivered a commanding performance at the Etihad Stadium, sweeping aside West Ham United with a 3-0 victory that temporarily sends them to the Premier League summit. The win, powered by a Erling Haaland double and a goal from Tijjani Reijnders, piles the pressure on title rivals Arsenal ahead of their Saturday evening fixture.
City's Relentless March Continues
The result means Manchester City will be top of the league on Christmas Day if Arsenal fail to win at Everton later on Saturday. Even if the Gunners prevail, City's display of ominous control and cutting edge serves as a stark warning to Mikel Arteta's side, who are aiming to halt City's streak of three consecutive titles. This was City's seventh consecutive victory over West Ham, who have now conceded at least three goals in each of their last six meetings with the champions.
Haaland at the Double in Dominant First Half
City asserted their dominance from the outset, with their trademark possession game wearing down the West Ham defence. The breakthrough came inside five minutes. After a period of sustained pressure, Phil Foden combined with Nico González on the left before rolling a pass to Haaland. The Norwegian's initial shot was parried by Alphonse Areola, but the rebound fell kindly for Haaland to thunder home with his right foot.
The home side continued to press, and it was the creative spark of Rayan Cherki that crafted the second goal. The Frenchman danced through the West Ham midfield with deft footwork before finding Haaland in the area. Haaland then laid off a simple pass to the arriving Tijjani Reijnders, who blasted his shot into the roof of the net, giving Areola no chance.
Guardiola's Half-Time Reset and Haaland's Clincher
Pep Guardiola was visibly displeased with a drop in intensity from his side after the interval, berating Phil Foden at one point as West Ham created rare chances, with Jarrod Bowen twice going close. Seeking to re-energise his team, Guardiola made a triple substitution on 65 minutes, introducing Rico Lewis, Abdukodir Khusanov, and Savinho.
The change had an immediate impact. Savinho found Lewis, who played the ball across the box. A defensive mix-up between Jean-Clair Todibo and Kyle Walker-Peters allowed the ball to run through to Erling Haaland, who rifled in his second goal of the game to seal the points at 3-0. Haaland even had a late chance for a hat-trick but fired narrowly wide.
The final whistle confirmed a third consecutive Premier League clean sheet for City and a sixth straight win in all competitions. With a rare free midweek before travelling to Nottingham Forest, Guardiola has his squad in a formidable position as the title race heats up.
