Manchester City delivered a chillingly efficient performance at the Etihad Stadium, swatting aside West Ham United with a 3-0 victory that piles the pressure on league leaders Arsenal. A brace from the irrepressible Erling Haaland and a goal from Tijjani Reijnders sealed a seventh consecutive win for Pep Guardiola's side in all competitions.
Haaland at the Double in Dominant First Half
The match was effectively decided within the opening half-hour as City's relentless possession and precision overwhelmed the visitors. Erling Haaland opened the scoring inside five minutes, capitalising on a rebound after his initial shot was parried by West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola. The Norwegian striker made no mistake with a thunderous follow-up.
City's control was absolute, and the second goal arrived just before the half-hour mark. The creative spark came from Rayan Cherki, whose deft footwork carved open the West Ham defence. He found Haaland in the area, who laid it off for Tijjani Reijnders to fire a superb strike into the roof of the net, leaving Areola with no chance.
Guardiola's Midfield Mastery and Second-Half Response
With Rodri absent, Nico González slotted seamlessly into the midfield anchor role, while Phil Foden provided his customary spark. Despite City's dominance, Guardiola was visibly agitated after the break as his team's intensity dipped. West Ham enjoyed a brief spell, with Jarrod Bowen missing two half-chances, prompting a stern reaction from the City boss.
True to his meticulous nature, Guardiola's triple substitution on 65 minutes had an immediate impact. Rico Lewis, Abdukodir Khusanov, and Savinho entered the fray, injecting fresh energy. The move paid instant dividends as Haaland pounced on a defensive mix-up between Jean-Clair Todibo and Kyle Walker-Peters to rifle home his second goal of the afternoon and City's third.
Title Race Implications and Relentless City Momentum
The result means Manchester City will sit top of the Premier League on Christmas Day if Arsenal fail to win at Everton later on Saturday. Regardless, the statement was clear. This was City's seventh straight victory over West Ham, who have now conceded at least three goals in each of their last six meetings with the champions.
With a rare free midweek before travelling to Nottingham Forest, Guardiola has his squad in prime condition. The victory also marked a third consecutive Premier League clean sheet, underscoring their strength at both ends of the pitch. As the title race intensifies, City's forbidding relentlessness serves as a stark warning to all challengers.
