MATCH REPORT AND PLAYER RATINGS - WEST HAM UNITED 1-3 MANCHESTER CITY

Image courtesy of tntsports.co.uk

Manchester City left it late, but ultimately ran out victorious against a compact West Ham United, in a game which'll be remembered for an excellent performance from new signing Jeremy Doku.

City, in their first game back from the first international break of the 2023/24 season, were weakened with the absences of Jack Grealish, John Stones, Mateo Kovacic and Kevin de Bruyne for their trip to the Hammers.

Whilst it didn't much impact the first team, due to City's high quality alternatives, namely Doku, Manuel Akanji, Bernardo Silva and Julian Alvarez, it left the bench looking sparse, meaning City's bench saw just 8 players named, 2 of whom were goalkeepers.

The 11 players who did start, however, controlled the game from the off, as they pinged the ball around the London Stadium pitch, preventing West Ham from disrupting the game.

They created chances too, with a scramble in the penalty area, plus Erling Haaland's opportunity at the backpost from Josko Gvardiol's cross both opportunities that should've ended up with a goal.

But it was the Hammers who took the lead with their first real chance of note, as impressive new signing James Ward-Prowse headed home from Vladimir Coufal's cross, to score his first goal in claret and blue.

Guardiola's side responded well to the setback, as Haaland found himself missing another glaring chance, as his slide at the backpost from Doku's cross was blocked on the line by Nayef Aguerd.

Almost immediately after the halftime break, City found themselves level, as Doku opened his account for the club, finishing in the bottom corner after a menacing run into the penalty area.

This sparked an improvement from City, who looked more penetrating when going forward from this point in the game. However, defensively, they still conceded a few clear cut chances, with Michail Antonio, Emerson and Kurt Zouma all having good opportunities to score for the Hammers.

As it seemed ever more likely that City would be hit by a West Ham sucker punch, they took the lead through Bernardo, who pounced on a scooped through ball by Alvarez to squeeze the ball beyond Alphonse Areola and score his first goal of the season, after extending his stay in Manchester for another season.

There was still time for another goal for the Blues, as a swift break saw Haaland finally add his name to the scoresheet, slamming home with his left foot after new signing Matheus Nunes's run gave Bernardo the space to slip the Norwegian in on goal.

Haaland's 7th Premier League goal in 5 appearances this season sealed the points for City, in a game which could've been a potential banana skin early on in the season. Part of the way City grinded out the win was down to a tactical change in the second half.

Guardiola lined his players up in the way we expected. Phil Foden started on the right wing, where he drifted infield, which allowed Kyle Walker to provide the width down the right. Foden and Alvarez supported Haaland up front, with Bernardo dropping back to support Rodri in the build up.

Whilst this system has undeniably been successful before, it struggled against West Ham, who played a compact low block to suffocate central areas for City. This was why Doku got so much joy; the space was to be found in the wide areas.

City combatted this by pushing Bernardo Silva forwards as a more attacking midfielder, interchanging with Foden as the wide forward. Walker primarily stayed back, and occasionally pushed into defensive midfield, a role which was taken on by Akanji and even Josko Gvardiol at times.

Occasionally, we'd see both full backs, Walker and Gvardiol tuck into midfield, which is reminiscent of the tactic used in the 2-0 away victory against West Ham last season, as a way of making sure there are enough numbers in both midfield and defence to stop a quick break.

This minor personal tweak meant City had their most creative players high up the pitch, and their best defensive players in position to defend the inevitable West Ham counter attacks. It sounds simple, but it was a well calculated risk from Guardiola, to put players in positions they haven't played in for a while for the benefit of a better team, both attacking and defensively.

The Blues are back in UEFA Champions League action on Tuesday night, as they host Red Star Belgrade for their first ever match as the reigning European champions. The Blues will be aiming to get off to the perfect start in Group G of the Champions League by beating the Serbian champions.

Here are the player ratings for the victory to continue City's perfect start:

Ederson - 7/10 - Could've done very little to prevent West Ham's goal. distributed the ball well, and made a fine save from Kurt Zouma when the score was 1-1, which allowed City to go on and win the match.

Walker - 7/10 - Used his pace and physicality to his benefit throughout the game. Despite a few rash decisions, the 33 year old had an overall good game, after a week in which he extended his contract until 2026.

Akanji - 7.5/10 - It was another game to remember for Akanji, who is currently one of City's most important players in defence. The 28 year old was composed at the back for the Blues, combining well with Dias to help keep the dangerous Michail Antonio in defence

Dias - 7.5/10 - The 26 year old, who appears to be a fans favourite to be the next City captain, is going from strength to strength in a sky blue shirt. As well as maintaining his defensive strength, Dias has improved his passing game a lot, which makes him a much more well rounded footballer for Guardiola's system.

Gvardiol - 6.5/10 - Like Walker, Gvardiol had a few moments of rashness, but other than that, he was solid up against a tough opponent in Jarrod Bowen. At just 21 years old, there is plenty of time for the Croatian to acclimatise in Manchester, and make himself a nailed on starter for the Blues.

Rodri - 7/10 - Ran the game from midfield, gifting the ball to more advanced players with the ability to create chances. Other than the occasional moment of sloppiness, it was business as usual for City's matchwinner in Istanbul.

Bernardo - 8/10 - Came up clutch in the late moments of the game, providing a late goal and assist to win the game. Other than those direct contributions, Bernardo helped City keep the ball by buzzing around next to Rodri and acting as a stabiliser for the team, as he once again reminded us of his importance to the side.

Foden - 6.5/10 - A relatively quiet game for the 23 year old, as he played predominantly in the inside right role. However, he showed glimpses of quality, noticeably as he took the ball on the turn in majestic style during the first half.

Alvarez - 7/10 - Like against Fulham, Alvarez's impact on the game wasn't great... except for his two assists for Doku and Bernardo. The 23 year old was quiet for large spells of the game, but came good with attacking contributions when he was needed.

Doku - 8.5/10 - City have a serious talent on their hands with this one. The 21 year old tormented Coufal down City's left hand side for large spells of the game, as he showed off his excellent decision making and explosive acceleration. His performance yesterday should keep him in the team for the next few games, even with the upcoming return of Jack Grealish from injury.

Haaland - 7.5/10 - Like against Sheffield United, it appeared like it wasn't going to be Haaland's day in front of goal, as he missed numerous guilt edged chances for City. However, he wasn't going to take that lying down, and slammed his goal away with precision and efficiency. You'd have thought fans would've learned it by now, but if they haven't: Erling Haaland is inevitable.

Substitutes:

Nunes - 6.5/10 - A positive debut for Nunes, who's energy and eagerness helped change the game for City. His underlapping run to create space for Haaland for the third goal was crucial in helping City see out the game; hopefully, we'll see him push on further and start games in the not to distant future.

Gomez - Not enough time to rank

Lewis - Not enough time to rank

Bobb - Not enough time to rank

Ake - Not enough time to rank