Erling Haaland haunted West Ham with his second hat trick of the young Premier League season as Manchester City won 3-1 at the London Stadium on Saturday to improve their record to 3-0.
Haaland had scored three times in two previous early-season trips to West Ham including a brace on Premier League debut in Week 1 of the 2022-23 season as part of a four goals in four PL apps record versus the Hammers. Make that seven in five, as Haaland feasted off assists from Bernardo Silva, Rico Lewis, and Matheus Nunes.
City is the only 3-0 team in the division after Arsenal drew Brighton earlier Saturday. Liverpool can join them with a win over Manchester United on Sunday.
West Ham falls to 1-0-2 heading into the international break. They get a London run of Fulham, Chelsea, and Brentford next in the PL.
Pep Guardiola’s City ripped off 17 shot attempts in the first half but only led 2-1 thanks to an unfortunate Ruben Dias own goal. They finished with 68% possession and eight shots on target.
City have not lost to West Ham in the Premier League, and their only setback was a 2021-22 League Cup loss in penalties. City have won 10-straight PL fixtures over West Ham, producing a combined score line of 33-4.
Man City machine grinds up Irons as ‘training camp’ continues
Yes, there were a couple of errors committed by Manchester City, but a team that has so far not used Rodri while also barely deploying Nathan Ake, John Stones, Phil Foden, and Kyle Walker is 3-0-0. And they’ve only rarely had to push the aggression button to do it. It helps that Erling Haaland had a full summer to himself thanks to Norway’s continued international qualifying struggles, and he is in monstrous form with a Premier League record seven goals from the first three matches of a season. Kevin De Bruyne is also in fantastic form.
All of these things are good, because things get crazy after the international break. After a PL visit from Brentford and a League Cup outing versus Watford, City will play Inter Milan, Arsenal, and Newcastle in a 10-day span. All that said... they can handle it.
West Ham vs Manchester City player ratings (via fotmob.com)
West Ham vs Manchester City player ratings (via fotmob.com)
West Ham vs Manchester City player ratings (via fotmob.com)
What’s next?
The international break. Then, Man City will host Fulham at 10am ET Saturday, Sept. 14, the same time West Ham kick off at Fulham.
How to watch West Ham vs Manchester City live, stream link and start time
Kick off time: 12:30pm ET Saturday
Venue: London Stadium
TV Channel: NBC
Streaming: Premier League on Peacock & NBC.com
West Ham vs Manchester City live updates — By Nick Mendola
West Ham vs Manchester City final score: 1-3
Erling Haaland 10', 30', 83'; Ruben Dias o.g. 19'
Erling Haaland hat trick video highlights
Ederson with a terrific save
Crysencio Summerville is 1v1 with Ederson and looks to have curled the ball around the keeper.
But Ederson somehow paws it wide of the far post.
And there’s the final whistle.
Another Haaland hat trick — West Ham 1-3 Manchester City
A terrific, sly through ball from Matheus Nunes releases Haaland 1v1 with the keeper.
The Norwegian dinks it over the onrushing Lukasz Fabianski, a halftime sub for Alphonse Areola.
West Ham break with electricity, come so close!
It’s a lightning counter attack and Mohammed Kudus takes the ball on the left and piledrives a frame-clattering ball flush off the cross bar.
So close.
Halftime — West Ham 1-2 Manchester City
Julen Lopetegui can at least point to the score line being close.
Man City is dominating and the Irons are in this because of a harsh bounce off Ruben Dias to beat Ederson..
Erling Haaland should have a first-half hat trick and City have 17 shot attempts.
Normal service resumed by Haaland — West Ham 1-2 Man City (29th minute)
Jack Grealish cuts in from the left and it’s beautiful one-touch passing from a trio of City players to cue up Haaland on the right.
The Norwegian shakes free of Emerson Palmeiri and bangs the ball just under the bar.
That’s six goals and we’re one-third of the way through Week 3.
Own goal levels it — West Ham 1-1 Man City (19th minute)
Mohammed Kudus and Lucas Paqueta tee up a 1v1 situation for the driving Jarrod Bowen, who has enough space from Josko Gvardiol to drill a hopeful low cross into the box.
The ball turns off Ruben Dias and beyond Ederson for a surprising 1-1.
Haaland scores off West Ham error — West Ham 0-1 Man City (10th minute)
West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta dawdles on the ball and Bernardo Silva picks his pocket.
The Portuguese sends Erling Haaland through on goal in a flash, and Haaland doesn’t miss the chance to poke City in front.
Haaland just misses
Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio had a couple of very early chances for West Ham.
Now here come City.
Erling Haaland rises high and nods a Jack Grealish cross well over the goal as the champs could well be ahead inside of six minutes.
West Ham vs Manchester City team news
Rodri is on the bench for Man City, but Phil Foden remains out with a nagging illness and Savinho also misses out. Jack Grealish starts for the champs.
Jarrod Bowen captains West Ham, who starts Edson Alvarez and leaves Tomas Soucek on the bench.
West Ham lineup
Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Kilman, Emerson, Alvarez, Paqueta, Rodriguez, Kudus, Bowen, Antonio
Manchester City lineup
Ederson, Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, Kovacic, De Bruyne (C), Bernardo, Doku, Grealish, Haaland
West Ham focus, team news
Lopetegui is expected to rotate his deep squad over this week with League Cup action on Wednesday, and City a different sort of task than tournament opponents Bournemouth. How many of the Irons’ midweek players can take their chance and push into the Premier League set-up?
There are no known injury concerns for West Ham.
Manchester City focus, team news
Pep Guardiola has been slow to deploy Phil Foden following a busy summer with England and an illness last week, while Rodri is still yet to make his Premier League debut. Erling Haaland already has four goals in his bid for a third-straight Golden Boot and Kevin De Bruyne has shown few signs of a slowdown. Will new signing Savio start a third-straight game?
OUT: Oscar Bobb (lower leg) | QUESTIONABLE: Rodri (fitness), Mateo Kovacic (knock), Phil Foden (illness)
West Ham vs Manchester City prediction
This should be much tighter than the series history but Lopetegui still has to balance his desire for possession with the massive threat of Man City. The champs look too locked-in right now especially given a week’s prep for a team playing two matches. West Ham 1-3 Manchester City.