Manchester City 3 (Erling Haaland 5′, 69′, Tijjani Reijnders 38′)
West Ham United 0
Manchester City have picked up a comfortable three points today with a 3-nil win over West Ham United at the Etihad Stadium.
When the starting lineups were announced Pep Guardiola had picked his strongest starting eleven for today’s important match. The changes had the desired effect as City cruised to victory to make it seven consecutive wins in all competitions and they also moved to the top of the Premier League ahead of Arsenal’s clash with Everton this evening.
First half
Manchester City would take an early lead through Erling Haaland!!!!
Manchester City would make a good start to the match and would take the lead in the 5th minute. A well-worked move saw Nico pick out Phil Foden on the left wing. Foden would play a good ball into the West Ham area that saw Erling Haaland fire a first-time left-footed shot at goal. Haaland’s shot was saved by West Ham keeper Alphonse Areola, but the rebound fell back into the path of Haaland, who rifled a shot with his right foot at goal that hit the roof of the net. Manchester City looked to be on their way after five minutes.
🚨🏴 HAALAND OPENS THE SCORING FOR MANCHESTER CITY!
Manchester City 1-0 West Ham.pic.twitter.com/jagAW9OE96
— Tekkers Foot (@tekkersfoot) December 20, 2025
Erling Haaland should have made it 2-nil in the 10th minute. Rayan Cherki played in a quality cross from the right, which Erling Haaland headed wide from a good position. Haaland should have doubled Manchester City’s lead, but instead, he squandered a great chance.
Following Erling Haaland’s header, the game entered a holding pattern of sorts from the 10th to the 25th minute. Manchester City was dominant in possession, and West Ham was playing with a low defensive block and barely offered anything going forward. Despite Manchester City’s dominance of the match, they still only held a 1-nil lead.
Manchester City would play themselves into trouble while playing out from the back in the 32nd minute. The ball was lost on their left-hand side, and Jarrod Bowen fired in a dangerous cross to the backpost. There were no West Ham players on hand to get on the end of Bowen’s cross. Bowen’s cross was a warning for City that despite them being comfortable in the match, they only held a one-goal lead.
Alphonse Areola makes a good save to prevent City from doubling their lead.
Tijjani Reijnders would see a shot saved by Alphonse Areola in the 35th minute. Rayan Cherki picked out Reijnders in the box with a clever little pass. Reijnders unleashed a powerful strike on goal that Areola parried away.
Tijjani Reijnders doubles Manchester City’s lead.
Manchester City would take a 2-nil lead in the 38th minute. Rayan Cherki would win the ball back for his team in a dangerous position. The piece of skill from Cherki to break open the play was sublime. Cherki worked his way into the penalty area and played a simple ball to Erling Haaland. Manchester City’s number-nine would then play a simple ball across to Tijjani Reijnders who beat Areola with a powerful strike from close range to double City’s lead.
🚨🏴 REIJNDERS DOUBLES THE LEAD FOR MANCHESTER CITY!
Manchester City 2-0 West Ham.pic.twitter.com/qQ7HuCQQ4K
— Tekkers Foot (@tekkersfoot) December 20, 2025
Tijjani Reijnders’ goal would be the last significant moment of the first half. Pep Guardiola’s side had dominated the first half and fully deserved their 2-nil lead. The hope was that City could go up a gear in the second half. It must be said that the performance of the referee was utterly bizarre. Some of Paul Tierney’s decisions were head-scratching to say the least. That did stand out across the first half.
Second half
Gianluigi Donnarumma would make his first save of the match in the 46th minute. Bernardo Silva gave away possession just outside his own area which gave West Ham an opportunity to attack. Crysencio Summerville drove into the box and played in a low cross that Donnarumma parried away. The rebound fell to Freddie Motts who fired in a powerful strike at goal that Donnarumma got down to his right to save. West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes would fire a follow-up strike at goal over the bar. Manchester City had received a warning that the game wasn’t over to begin the second half.
Jarrod Bowen would miss two good chances in the 54th and 56th minutes. Bowen’s first chance came after a mix-up in the City defence saw the ball fall his way in the Manchester City penalty area. Bowen would round the oncoming Gianluigi Donnarumma but he fired his shot just wide. Two minutes later a West Ham breakaway saw Bowen picked out in acres of space. The England international got himself into a good position in the box but he scuffed his right-footed shot wide of the goal. West Ham were getting their opportunities now as it seemed that Pep Guardiola’s side had taken their foot off the accelerator.
Erling Haaland grabs his second goal of the afternoon to wrap up all three points for City.
Manchester City would take a 3-nil lead in the 69th minute. Savinho got played in on the right and he surged at the West Ham defence. The Brazilian international played a clever ball to Rico Lewis who played a first-time ball to Haaland. Erling Haaland didn’t react quick enough to Lewis’s pass but the West Ham defence failed to clear the ball. Haaland followed up the poor West Ham clearance to beat Alphonse Areola from six yards out to effectively secure all three points for his team.
🚨🏴 HAALAND MAKES IT THREE FOR MANCHESTER CITY!
Manchester City 3-0 West Ham.pic.twitter.com/Q2Kr92hvNZ
— Tekkers Foot (@tekkersfoot) December 20, 2025
Gianluigi Donnarumma would deny Crysencio Summerville in the 74th minute. The West Ham striker got himself into a good position and he unleashed a powerful strike at goal. Donnarumma would deny Summerville with his face to preserve his clean sheet.
Alphonse Areola would make a good save to deny a long-range Phil Foden strike in the 81st minute. City worked the ball well around the West Ham area. The ball was played to Foden who unleashed a stinging drive from 25 yards at goal. Areola made an acrobatic save to keep the score at 3-nil. He would deny Savinho 2 two minutes later with another good save after the Brazilian international was played in but he couldn’t beat Areola with a low finish.
Josko Gvardiol would head wide from a Phil Foden corner in the 93rd minute and Erling Haaland would put a good chance wide of the far post after being played in behind the West Ham defence by Divine Mukasa. Those two Manchester City chances would be the final significant moments of the match as City would cruise to a 3-nil win to move to the top of the Premier League table ahead of Arsenal’s clash with Everton.
First thoughts at the final whistle.
That was a routine win for Manchester City today at the Etihad Stadium. A brace from Erling Haaland and a quality Tijjani Reijnders goal were enough for Pep Guardiola’s side to pick up all three points and make it seven consecutive wins in all competitions.
It wasn’t a vintage City performance, that wasn’t required today. But the control that Pep Guardiola craves was there outside of a few nervy moments in the second half. Manchester City continue to play themselves into trouble at the back and it is an obvious area of Manchester City’s game that needs to improve. Besides that, it was a routine victory for City today at the Etihad.