Manchester City spank West Ham with Erling Haaland back on song at home
Jamie Jackson at the Etihad Stadium
Date published: Sat 4 Jan 2025 17.15 GMT

After Pep Guardiola's latest mea culpa - "I blame me, not the players," he said on Friday - Manchester City returned a heady second consecutive win for the first time since late October, and a third successive outing without defeat.

Under the manager's own logic he takes credit for a victory decorated by a scintillating Savinho performance, featuring two assists and the forcing of Vladimir Coufal's own goal, and crowned by Erling Haaland's second. The Brazilian received the ball in midfield and fed the Norwegian, whose slaloming run was as elegant as the chip over an onrushing Alphonse Areola.

That was 3-0 on 55 minutes and the fourth goal soon arrived. A defensive horror show allowed Kevin De Bruyne to take over, he squared to Phil Foden and, at close range, Areola was beaten again, causing relief for the champions, who had holes punched in them each time Julen Lopetegui's unit attacked.

Guardiola offered an explanation. "When we attack quick, the opponent attacks quicker," he said. "We have to make 1,000 million passes. We don't pass the ball [enough]. That's why we suffer. We need to find our tempo."

In his direct manner, De Bruyne criticised City fans' nervousness. "I don't know why," the 33-year-old said. "I can understand that we are not up to the level but they should support us because the effort is there and we are still winning 4-1. I don't understand what is happening."

After Foden's strike, the same support taunted Lopetegui with the standard that has come Guardiola's way recently: "You're getting sacked in the morning." Harsh, maybe, given the Hammers' profligacy, but, after losing 5-0 at home to Liverpool, this is how football works.

The Spaniard said: "We deserved more, we had to do better in the first half. I am not thinking about the last match - today was very different. It is not easy for me to explain 4-1."

Guardiola had spoken of the luck involved in Sunday's win at Leicester and City enjoyed fortune here, too, via Coufal's inadvertent finish. Savinho ran through a left channel and crossed, the ball came back to him, and his second go smacked off the right-back, defeating Areola.

Savinho was a whirl of action, closing down Areola, earning applause from Guardiola, tormenting Coufal continually, or materialising on the right, as he did at a corner alongside De Bruyne and Foden, to cause an overload.

Guardiola configured his men in a 4-1-4-1, making solving how sieve-like they were simple: pull Bernardo Silva or De Bruyne back from their central berths to operate alongside Mateo Kovacic to stop him and the rearguard being overrun.

Errant ball custodianship was evident, too. A miscommunication involving De Bruyne and Haaland ceded possession to Lucas Paqueta, who shot wide, while at times City were comically open, as Niclas Fullkrug's 71st-minute consolation illustrated.

Paqueta spread play left, Tomas Soucek crossed and the centre-forward swept in. The goal left Guardiola raging - possibly at Kyle Walker, on as a substitute - and there was further concern when Stefan Ortega needed treatment. But as Scott Carson, 39, contemplated a very rare outing, the German goalkeeper recovered.

The contest was a tale of missed chances, particularly before the interval. A Haaland toe-poke rolled the ball to Silva, who drove at Areola's legs; then the Portuguese and Rico Lewis combined to send the No 9 thundering in but he was thwarted. After a Lewis blaze had Areola flying right to repel, a chance was converted, at last.

That was a supreme attacking play from City: Foden floated the ball left to Savinho, who skated past his marker and swept over a cross that had Haaland leaping for his first.

The question now was whether City would kill off the visitors or allow them back into the game. Initially the answer was yes to the second part, as a Coufal tester warmed Ortega's fingertips, before City took over. By the close, De Bruyne's second full 90 minutes in two games was a bonus.

Out of contract this summer, he brushed off questions about his future. "I don't care," the Belgian said. "I am just trying to get back to my level."

Salford City are up next here, on Saturday in the FA Cup, meaning a third successive win is surely coming.

Daily Mail: MATCH FACTS
MAN CITY (4-1-4-1): Ortega; Gvardiol, Ake (Walker 61), Akanji, Lewis, Kovacic (Gundogan 61), Savinho (McAtee 80), Silva, De Bruyne, Foden, Haaland (Grealish 84)
Subs not used: Carson, Doku, Nunes, Simpson-Pusey, O'Reilly
Booked: Kovacic, Walker
Goals: Coufal 10' (OG), Haaland 42', 55', Foden 58'
Manager: Pep Guardiola
WEST HAM (4-2-3-1): Areola; Wan-Bissaka, Kilman, Todibo (Mavropanos 54), Coufal, Alvarez (Ings 87), Soucek, Summerville, Paqueta, Kudus (Guilherme 72), Fullkrug
Subs not used: Foderingham, Cresswell, Soler, Rodriguez, Irving, Scarles
Booked: Fullkrug
Goal: Fullkrug 71'
Manager: Julen Lopetegui
Read full Daily Mail report:

Sky Sport ratings Player ratings
Man City: Ortega (6), Lewis (6), Akanji (6), Ake (6), Gvardiol (6), Kovacic (6), De Bruyne (7), Silva (6), Savinho (9), Foden (8), Haaland (8).
Subs: Gundogan (6), Walker (6), McAtee (n/a), Grealish (n/a).
West Ham: Areola (6), Coufal (5), Todibo (6), Kilman (6), Wan-Bissaka (7), Alvarez (6), Soucek (6), Paqueta (7), Kudus (6), Fullkrug (7), Summerville (7).
Subs: Mavropanos (5), Guilherme (6), Ings (n/a).
Player of the Match: Savinho.