The article is a match report of a Premier League football (soccer) match between Manchester City and West Ham United that took place on May 3, 2023. Manchester City won the match 3-0, securing their position as the league leaders with only a few matches left to play. The first half of the match was largely uneventful, with neither team managing to score a goal. However, in the second half, Manchester City came out strong and took the lead with a goal from midfielder Kevin Nathan Ake in the 49th minute. West Ham tried to equalize, but Manchester City’s defense held strong.
In the 70 minute, Manchester City secured their victory with another goal, this time from forward Erling Haaland. In the 85th minute, Manchester City scored their third goal to completely outclass West Ham. The article notes that Manchester City’s victory was well-deserved, as they controlled much of the game and created more chances than West Ham.
He actually has the most league goals in a top-flight season since Ron Davies plundered 37 for Southampton in 1966-67 so that is doubtless the next target to topple. And would anyone be surprised if he runs close to Dixie Dean’s all-time English record of 63 goals in a season? Currently on 51, City’s goal machine needs 12 to match it.
City’s players and staff marked the occasion at the final whistle by forming a guard of honour as each took turns to slap this hulking figure as he powered his way through the throng of bodies and limbs. It made for quite the scene. To put Haaland’s feats into some context, Phil Foden’s goal late on marked the 1,000th scored by City under manager Pep Guardiola and the Norwegian accounts for five per cent of them, despite having only played 45 games for the club.
Haaland is averaging a goal every 71 minutes in the Premier League this season so his latest one came pretty much bang on cue and, in doing so, calmed the lingering nerves of the manager and home supporters who grasped just how hard West Ham were making things as City nursed a delicate 1-0 lead thanks to Nathan Aké’s header. There was just under half an hour to go when the City manager let his frustration with the crowd be known. Gesturing in an exasperated manner for the fans to raise the noise level, and help lift their team in the process, he got the response he hoped for. And Haaland the goal he craved or, rather, waited for calmly.
It originated from a mistake from Danny Ings, the West Ham substitute giving the ball away to Bernardo, who redirected it quickly into the path of Jack Grealish. Grealish had been one of City’s stand-out performers all game, along with John Stones and Rodri, and the moment he released Haaland through on goal the outcome never felt in doubt. Indeed, the sight of poor Thilo Kehrer giving fruitless chase is one with which far too many defenders have become well acquainted.
As Lukasz Fabianski advanced, Haaland nonchalantly dinked the ball over the West Ham goalkeeper – a quite gorgeous touch of the ball – before wheeling away in celebration as the Etihad rose in acclaim. The win puts Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table with 85 points, six points ahead of second-place Liverpool with three matches remaining in the season. If they can maintain their lead, Manchester City will be crowned champions of the Premier League for the fourth time in five years.
How Man City broke down West Ham
Moyes knew he was up against it from the outset when illness robbed him of star midfielder Declan Rice overnight, with Tomas Soucek, Nayef Aguerd and the injured Kurt Zouma also dropping out. West Ham were only able to name five outfield substitutes. But his side succeeded in stifling City throughout the first half, condensing the space with Angelo Ogbonna heading everything away. It was all so crowded, although Rodri did manage to wriggle through to hit the post after a one-two with Haaland.
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