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After a disappointing defeat at the hands of Liverpool in the FA Community Shield last weekend, Manchester City opened their Premier League campaign with a convincing 2-0 victory over West Ham United away from home.
Two goals from Erling Haaland capped off a controlled, professional performance from the Premier League champions.
After a flat start to the new season at the King Power Stadium in the Community Shield, City travelled to the London Stadium to begin their Premier League defence on a winning note.
While it took some time for the Blues to grow into the game, Pep Guardiola’s men assumed their usual control of the game and pressed the issue.
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The first flash at cracking the stubborn West Ham defence came just shy of the half-hour mark when Kevin De Bruyne stabbed the ball home from the centre of the penalty box. However, due to an offside in the build up the goal was chalked off.
Finally, the chance came just a few minutes later when City newcomer Erling Haaland was taken down in the box by West Ham keeper Alphonse Areola, forcing the referee to award the visitors a penalty.
With the world watching and waiting for his first City goal, Haaland stepped up and dispatched the spot kick into the bottom corner with aplomb to give the visitors a lead at the break.
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Picking up where they left off, the Premier League champions controlled the tempo of the second interval, forcing the home side to play at their pace.
While West Ham tried to work their way back into proceedings, it was an unusual sight for Manchester City fans which turned the tides - a counter-attacking goal.
After a brief spell of West Ham possession, De Bruyne picked up the ball on the counter and slid in Haaland, who slotted the ball home to cap off a spectacular transition move, extending City’s lead with just over twenty minutes remaining.
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With a two-goal lead on hand, City slowed the game down to a crawl and saw out the proceedings the way champions do, ensuring the Etihad outfit picked up their first win of the season.
Julian Alvarez also made his Premier League debut as he came on for Haaland late on, with Riyad Mahrez, Cole Palmer and Bernardo Silva also getting minutes off the bench.
Up next for Guardiola’s men is a visit from newly-promoted Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium next weekend, with City seeking a 12th straight win against the Cherries.
Featured Image Credit: TwitterTopics: Manchester City, Premier League, West Ham United, Erling Haaland, Pep Guardiola, David Moyes, Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan
