Manchester City 2-1 West Ham United
by Adam Millington
at the City of Manchester Stadium

MANCHESTER CITY extended their winning streak to five games in all competitions as they overcame a stern test from David Moyes’s West Ham side this afternoon to triumph 2-1.

Storm Arwen had caused disruption to Burnley vs Tottenham, with the game being eventually postponed, but the players here battled through the wind and snow to produce a fine footballing spectacle.

Each game has proved to be a lesson in tactical thinking for Pep Guardiola this season, with all eventualities being tried to see who could fill the vacant number nine role. This time he lined up with Algerian playmaker Riyad Mahrez in the middle, Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling flanking him.

And that decision nearly paid dividends. When Irons goalkeeper Lukas Fabianski failed to provide a proper delivery from a goal-kick, Sterling pounced and played in Mahrez who buried a smart finish into the bottom corner, but he would soon be ruled offside by VAR.

The change would be reverted soon, and successfully so. Clever footwork on the wing saw Mahrez turn provider as he played in Ilkay Gundogan who tapped in from close range to break the deadlock.

West Ham defended well, clearing Jesus’s effort off the line and making the angle too tight for Mahrez to double his side’s lead, but the game was firmly in City’s grasp by the time Michael Oliver blew his whistle to signal half-time.

Half-time was extended to 20 minutes to allow the ground staff to clear the snow the blizzard had brought off the pitch, and the game was able to carry on due to their work.

While the conditions had improved by the second half, little about the manner of the game was different. The blues continued to exert their dominance, and it took a sliding stop for Aaron Cresswell to stop Jesus from making it two.

City were dominant, but there was an air of displacement which emanated from the home dugout. This had been a strong performance, but there still seemed to be something missing for Pep Guardiola.

Late on, with the clock edging closer and closer to 90, City put a rubber stamp on the result when Sterling weaved through the defence and cut it back to Fernandinho to double their lead to two. Then Bernardo Silva had the ball in the back of the net, but he was offside.

The game came to life in its dying moments, and West Ham’s strengths were shown with the final kick of the game where they pulled one back through Manuel Lanzini. It was not enough to win the game, but it was just reward for the performance they had put in.

The Irons team on display this afternoon was one not yet capable of beating the league’s top sides, but it is one on the correct path. They produced a high-class game, defended well and were far from pushovers. If they continue on their current trajectory, then there is no reason why the Champions League should not be in their aspirations.