Erling Haaland scored a hat-trick to wrap up a 3-1 victory for Manchester City over West Ham
A classy Erling Haaland hat-trick inspired Manchester City to a convincing 3-1 win over West Ham United on Sunday at the London Stadium. It was a city-dominated encounter from first to last, and they go back home with all three points due to Haaland’s finishing and an own goal at the back from Ruben Dias inside the first quarter of the hour, which had given West Ham their only moment of hope. At last, Manchester City sealed a full tag as one of the frontrunners in the race for this season’s Premier League campaign.
Early Kick-Off Strike by Haaland, City, but West Ham Fights Back
The whistle blew, and Manchester City attacked aggressively right from the word go. Just 10 minutes of action saw City break their way through the defense as a pinpoint cross by Bernardo Silva haunted West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, while Erling Haaland left no mistake in heading it past him for an early lead.
But West Ham responded with anything but a second-half performance behind as City’s mix-up in defense saw Ruben Dias turn the ball into his net in the 19th minute to make it 1-1. This unwanted own goal puts some life into West Ham as rejuvenated home support puts pressure on the City defense.
That setback only momentarily dented Manchester City’s need for dominance as the visitors continued to enjoy 68 percent of the ball in the first half. That constant pressure finally told in the 30th minute, when Rico Lewis played a deliciously weighted pass across to Haaland. The Norwegian showed characteristic poise and precision to slot the ball through the advancing body of Areola as City went ahead again at 2-1.
Second half: City on top, Haaland completes his hat-trick
Manchester City left the chokehold of the second half to West Ham’s efforts, who sought an equalizer. Kevin De Bruyne booked in the first half of the game, marshaled the midfield of City as they dictated the pace of the match. The back four marshaled by Manuel Akanji and Ruben Dias kept firm, not allowing too many clear-cut opportunities for goals to be created for the visiting side.
This was further manifested in passing accuracy and movement off the ball, whereby City completed 715 passes as opposed to 325 by West Ham. That control allowed City to find open gaps in the defense of West Ham and made many goal-scoring opportunities for them.
These tactical changes for City got heavier in the game to keep the intensity. On for Jack Grealish was a fresher pair of legs brought into the middle of the park in Matheus Nunes, while Nathan Ake and Kyle Walker came on for Kevin De Bruyne and Josko Gvardiol respectively as City shored up the back, maintaining City’s structure.
Erling Haaland sealed his hat-trick in the 83rd minute to put the icing on the cake of what had been a fantastic individual showing. On for literally moments, Nunes was subbed onto the pitch and made an instant impact, playing a through ball into the space of Erling Haaland. The striker coolly finished into the bottom corner to make it 3-1 and out of reach for West Ham.
West Ham struggles and tactical changes
Everything in the tide of such pressure City had really raised, and with which West Ham could barely cope with the intensity. Londoners had only 32% possession and tried to shoot at the opponent’s goal a total of 10 times compared to 22 times by City. David Moyes did make a few substitutions throughout the second half, including new signings such as Niclas Füllkrug and Crysencio Summerville, but with more options available to him going forward, little actually altered in the true outcome of the match.
That is evidenced by the fact that City delivered 25 crosses in the match-a fact that really stretched the Hammers’ defense. The clear inability of West Ham to retain the ball well and break down the City press reflected just some of the problems against a top-class opponent.
Key Statistics and Performance Analysis
That is, fairly, not surprising given this dominant display that was equated to the numbers in the critical statistics: xG of 3.098 for Manchester City against 0.785 for West Ham showed that Manchester City simply had better scoring opportunities throughout the match. Also, City outshot West Ham in on-target attempts 8-2, further evidence of their attacking prowess.
Solid at the back, City managed 14 clearances and nine interceptions to throttle the attacking threat of West Ham. In fact, Ederson, the City keeper was called into action a few times-all of them crucial saves to deny West Ham.
Conclusion: A Statement Win for Manchester City
Filled with quality and depth, this was one of those statements of intent as Manchester City finally won 3-1 against West Ham United. Erling Haaland’s hat-trick topped this performance that underlined just how efficient City were in their attack and solid in their defense. A win that consolidated them at the top of the Premier League table-a signal to many regarding their resolve for title retention.
With this game, these weaknesses are bound to be laid bare, and West Ham will have to go back to the drawing board. Though they had promised on several instances, they could not really keep the challenge strong in the face of an irrepressible City. David Moyes will no doubt look to improve defensive organisation and attacking effectiveness in future matches.
Pre-Match Analysis
Now, what Manchester City need to do is build from this win into the rest of the season, for that is what counts in the Premier League: consistency and dominance. West Ham, on the other hand, have to learn from this defeat and go back to tactics and player improvement in light of the league table. That set the tone for what has been an exciting and highly competitive season of the Premier League, finally with a multitude of different challenges coming Manchester City’s way against West Ham.
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