West Ham United 1-3 Manchester City: 5 Talking Points as defending champs hand Hammers first loss of the season | Premier League 2023-24

Manchester City overcame a frustrating first half and put three past West Ham United in the second period to win 3-1 in the Premier League on Saturday, September 16.

The two sides started the game at the top of the table, with Moyes' Hammers side looking impressive.

Manchester City, on the other hand, were at their brilliant best to begin the campaign. Manager Pep Guardiola made two changes, with Nathan Ake and Mateo Kovacic dropping for Josko Gvardiol and Bernardo Silva.

The Cityzens began the game strong. Alphonse Areola was forced to make a couple great saves from Rodri and Ruben Dias, with a Erling Haaland header also cleared off the line.

West Ham were comfortable to sit deep and hit City on the counter. Their strategy paid off, with Vladimir Coufal's swerving cross was met well by James Ward-Prowse to make it 1-0.

City wasted no time in the second half, finding the equaliser almost immediately after the restart. Julian Alvarez set up Jeremy Doku, who cut in and placed the ball into the corner beyond Areola's reach.

The defending champions continued to pound away at the Hammers' goal, with Alvarez's free kick hitting the post and Areola continuing to make good saves.

However, their resilience lasted only until the 76th minute. Bernardo Silva made it 2-1 with a cool scoop of the keeper after receiving the ball from Alvarez. Soon after, the Portugal international turned provider, setting up Haaland who completed a composed finish to make it 3-1.

Manchester City maintained their perfect start to the season while West Ham suffered their first loss. Here are five talking points.

#5. James Ward-Prowse continues to prove to be a smart signing

Ward-Prowse has had a brilliant impact for Moyes following his arrival from Southampton. The departure of Declan Rice meant the Hammers needed a leadership figure in the center of the park and the 28-year-old has filled the role admirably. While his threat from set pieces is well-known, he continues to chip in in other ways.

#4. Jeremy Doku opened his account for Manchester City

Jeremy Doku displayed why City paid over £55 million to secure his signing. The Belgian winger was deployed on the left and was thoroughly dominant over Vladimir Coufal.

He also scored his debut goal for the side with a great finish that levelled the scores. He finished the game with three key passes, three completed dribbles and two shots on target.

#3. West Ham have Areola to thank for a respectable scoreline

Manchester City scored three goals on the day but it could have easily turned into a nightmarish outing for the Hammers. However, a stellar performance from Alphonse Areola meant that the defending champions had to be at their very best.

He pulled off two great saves in the first half and added to his tally with a fantastic dive to deny Haaland's acrobatic effort in the second half.

#2. A great outing for Bernardo Silva

The Portugal international proved why Manchester City were desperate to keep him longer at the Etihad. Coming into the lineup for the injured Mateo Kovacic, he supported the front four well in attack.

He maintained his cool to score the second before finding Haaland to put the result to bed.

#1. Manchester City are hitting mid-season form

Pep Guardiola's side have looked strong to begin this season. They have won all five games to begin the Premier League campaign and look to be headed to win their fourth consecutive title.

Although they had a tough first half against West Ham, they had the ability to reach a higher gear and pull off the result against a resolute defensive side.