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West Ham logo
Premier League | Gameweek 5
Sep 16, 2023 at 3pm UK
London Stadium
Manchester City logo

West Ham
1 - 3
Man City

Ward-Prowse (36')
Alvarez (38'), Soucek (79'), Paqueta (90+6')
FT(HT: 1-0)
Doku (46'), Silva (76'), Haaland (86')
Gvardiol (45+2'), Rodri (89')

Manchester City come from behind to beat West Ham United in chaotic contest

Man City come from behind to beat West Ham in chaotic contest
© Reuters
Manchester City continue their unblemished start to the 2023-24 Premier League campaign with a captivating 3-1 victory over West Ham United at the London Stadium.

Manchester City continued their unblemished start to the 2023-24 Premier League campaign with a captivating 3-1 victory over West Ham United at the London Stadium.

Strikes from Jeremy Doku, Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland - who had missed a glut of earlier chances - rendered James Ward-Prowse's opener inconsequential upon Pep Guardiola's return to the dugout, but David Moyes's side did themselves proud against the treble winners before being unable to quell the second-half onslaught.

While the contest at the London Stadium could have been billed as a top-of-the-table clash, Man City took the game by the scruff of the neck straight away, and West Ham were counting their lucky stars to survive a frenzied eighth minute, in which Guardiola's men peppered the Hammers' goal with shots from a corner.

Rodri was denied on three separate occasions by Alphonse Areola and Tomas Soucek, while Haaland and Ruben Dias appeared to be thwarted as well, as West Ham inexplicably came out with their clean sheet intact.

The champions' pressure was unrelenting, but Haaland spurned a brilliant chance from close range in the 15th minute, firing wide from a Josko Gvardiol ball to the back stick - a collector's item for those in attendance.

James Ward-Prowse celebrates scoring for West Ham United on September 16, 2023© Reuters

Having emerged unscathed from City's early wave of attacks, West Ham began to ask more questions of Guardiola's backline, and the Europa Conference League champions took a shock lead with 36 minutes gone.

So often the architect, this time it was Ward-Prowse's turn to get on the end of a pinpoint cross, as Vladimir Coufal charged down the right before picking out the Englishman to find the bottom corner with a diving header from just outside the six-yard box.

Haaland could have done with taking a leaf out of Ward-Prowse's book, as the off-colour Norwegian squandered another magnificent opportunity in the 43rd minute, failing to get a clean connection on the ball from Doku's cross and seeing his scuffed shot cleared off the line by Nayef Aguerd.

However, Guardiola's half-time team talk clearly went down a treat, as within the first minute of the second half, Doku picked up the ball on the left flank, weaved his way into the box and curled a crisp strike into the far corner to bring City level.

Lady luck was not on the strikers' side, though, as Julian Alvarez struck the inside of the post with a 53rd-minute free kick just before the misfiring Haaland had a volley parried away by Areola.

The Frenchman's opposite number Ederson was being kept equally busy during a frenzied end-to-end period, denying Kurt Zouma's header with a terrific full-length save in the 61st minute.

Manchester City's Bernardo Silva celebrates scoring their second goal on September 16, 2023© Reuters

West Ham's besieged backline could only hold out for so long, though, and with 76 minutes gone, Alvarez lifted a delicate ball over a sea of Clarets shirts for Silva, who got the better of Aguerd and managed to toe-poke the ball over Areola's shoulder and into the side of the net.

Haaland - desperate for a goal of his own - was charging in, but the Scandinavian, who may have been in an offside position, wisely decided to let Silva's attempt trickle over the line.

Haaland was denied once more by Areola in the 82nd minute, but the striker finally got one right just four moments later, calmly controlling Silva's ball before unleashing an unstoppable effort into the far corner from 12 yards.

The Citizens have now regained top spot ahead of Tuesday's Champions League opener with Red Star Belgrade, while West Ham begin their own continental campaign on Thursday, hosting Serbia's Backa Topola in the Europa League group stage.

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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Manchester CityMan City97202091123
2Liverpool97111751222
3Arsenal95311710718
4Aston Villa95311611518
5Chelsea95221911817
6Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton94411612416
7Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest9441117416
8Tottenham HotspurSpurs94141810813
9Brentford94141818013
10Fulham93331212012
11Bournemouth93331111012
12Newcastle UnitedNewcastle9333910-112
13West Ham UnitedWest Ham93241316-311
14Manchester UnitedMan Utd9324811-311
15Leicester CityLeicester92341317-49
16Everton92341016-69
17Crystal Palace9135611-56
18Ipswich TownIpswich9045920-114
19Wolverhampton WanderersWolves90271225-132
20Southampton9018619-131


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