Benjamin Booker
December 20, 2025
By Benjamin Booker
Manchester City stormed to the top of the Premier League table this afternoon with a commanding 3-0 victory over West Ham United at the Etihad Stadium. In a match that highlighted the stark contrast between title contenders and relegation battlers, Erling Haaland continued his relentless form with a brace, while Tijjani Reijnders netted his first home goal for the club.
While the scoreline suggests a routine day at the office for Pep Guardiola’s men, the match was not without its moments of frustration for the City boss, who demanded perfection even as his side cruised to their seventh consecutive win in all competitions.
For West Ham and Nuno Espírito Santo, the defeat extends a worrying winless run and leaves the Irons firmly in the relegation zone over Christmas.
The Match Story: Total Dominance
From the first whistle, the tone was set. Manchester City, missing key figures like Rodri and Mateo Kovačić through injury , wasted no time in asserting control.
It took just five minutes for the deadlock to break. Phil Foden, operating in a fluid front three, found space on the right and whipped in a low cross. West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola did well to parry the initial danger, but he was helpless to stop Erling Haaland from smashing home the rebound for his 10th opening goal of the campaign.
West Ham spent the remainder of the first half camped in their own defensive third. They failed to register a single shot before the break as City monopolized possession. The second goal arrived in the 38th minute, a moment of quality involving Haaland turning provider. The Norwegian striker held up the ball brilliantly before slipping a pass to Tijjani Reijnders, who rifled a finish into the roof of the net.
“It feels good to finally score at home. I’ve waited a long time for it, today was the day.” — Tijjani Reijnders
A Brief Scare and the Knockout Punch
Nuno Espírito Santo’s halftime team talk seemed to spark life into the visitors. For a 15-minute spell after the restart, West Ham looked a different side. Gianluigi Donnarumma, largely a spectator in the first half, was forced into a double save to deny Crysencio Summerville and Freddie Potts, while Jarrod Bowen fired agonizingly into the side netting.
Sensing a shift in momentum, Guardiola acted decisively. A triple substitution in the 67th minute—introducing Savinho, Rico Lewis, and Abdukodir Khusanov—re-energized the hosts.
Two minutes later, the game was over. A defensive mix-up in the West Ham box saw the ball ricochet kindly for Haaland, who made no mistake from close range to seal his brace and secure the three points.
The Managers’ Verdict
Despite the comfortable win, Pep Guardiola was characteristically demanding in his post-match assessment, highlighting areas for improvement with the ball.
“Some moments, some things really good, other things no. Defensively so good in many aspects, aggression. But with the ball we are still away from what we have to do… We were not in the right spots with the ball. Still we’re not brave enough to break the lines and do it.” — Pep Guardiola
On the other side, Nuno Espírito Santo cut a frustrated figure, acknowledging that conceding so early ruined their game plan.
“It breaks the plan, the way we want to do things to concede so early makes things really hard… It’s difficult to control and contain Manchester City. It’s not the moment to judge, but at the same time, we have to realise that we need to be much better. We are concerned about the situation that we’re in.” — Nuno Espírito Santo
Player Ratings
Manchester City
- Gianluigi Donnarumma (8/10): alert when needed, making crucial saves early in the second half.
- Josko Gvardiol (8/10): A constant threat down the left, effectively playing as a winger at times.
- Tijjani Reijnders (8/10): Energetic, tidy in possession, and took his goal superbly.
- Erling Haaland (9.5/10): Two goals, one assist. The complete striker performance.
- Rayan Cherki (8/10): Dazzling footwork and creativity; a nightmare for the West Ham defense.
West Ham United
- Alphonse Areola (6/10): Made several stops to keep the score down but let down by his defense.
- Max Kilman (4/10): Struggled to cope with Haaland’s physicality and movement.
- Freddie Potts (3/10): A harsh learning curve for the youngster; lost the ball for the third goal.
- Jarrod Bowen (5/10): Starved of service but worked tirelessly; missed his only real chances.
