And that would seem to be your lot. Hell of a day in the old football, capped by this utterly extraordinary result. Cheers for reading all, I’m off to dip my fingers in a large bowl of icy water.
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But still, this West Ham away record is absolutely extraordinary. They’ve had three of their five toughest away games of the season in their first three trips, and they’ve won them all. Arsenal, Liverpool and now Manchester City all done, defeated and sent away. Appointing Slaven Bilic to replace Sam Allardyce seemed like a gamble, but while these are early days, it’s paying off rather nicely at the moment.
And City really weren’t that bad. They will play much worse than that and win games this season, but that luck, some brilliant defending and some wasteful attacking converged to see them lose their first league game of the season.
A magnificent defensive performance from West Ham, but it must be noted that City were incredibly unlucky with some of the deflections. On another day some of them would have flown in, but they didn’t, and Winston Reid, Adrian, Noble and Payet should be carried from the field shoulder-high.
Full-time: Manchester City 1-2 West Ham United
What. A. Result.
90 mins + 4: West Ham doing a decent job of keeping the ball in the City half now through Obiang and Payet...but Jelavic is caught offside.
90 mins + 3: Bilic is dancing around like a man whose shoes are on fire on the touchline, urging his men to push up.
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90 mins + 2: City free kick out on the right, Toure swings it over but again it’s headed out. Remarkable stuff this. Sagna chases a ball on the byline on the right, but it just goes out of play. Just.
90 mins + 1: Navas, shockingly, wastes the corner. Reid with the clearance. Bilic nervously fiddles with his tie and hair on the touchline. What a performance this is, and would be if they hold on.
90 mins: Surprisingly West Ham don’t take the corner short, and eventually Cresswell is penalised for a foul. City counter and win a corner of their own on their right. Four minutes of injury time to come.
89 mins: From nowhere, Payet smacks one on the half-volley at goal, and Hart gets down well to save, and it goes behind for a corner.
88 mins: Navas cuts it back to De Bruyne, who tries to feed Toure racing into the area, but he bundles over Noble and that’s a free kick.
86 mins: What a save! City swing a corner in from the left, Otamendi gets to the ball at the near-post and heads towards goal, but Adrian flings his arm up and tips it over the bar.
85 mins: Subs for both sides. Kolarov is replaced by Kelechi Iheanacho for City, while Jenkinson is eventually put out of his crampy misery with James Collins coming on instead.
84 mins: This defending has been heroic. De Bruyne takes advantage of Jenkinson going down again, but his cross with the outside of his right foot is cleared at the near post.
83 mins: Navas cuts it back to Toure on the right edge of the box, again he shoots first-time, again it’s blocked. Good lord this has been a siege.
81 mins: Corner for City on the right. The ball loops out to De Bruyne on the edge of the box, he tries a first-time volley but it skews high and wide.
80 mins: Jelavic, in a West Ham attack rarer than rocking horse poo, almost gets a chance as the ball breaks towards the City goal, but Hart rushes out and gets to the ball before him.
79 mins: City attack and De Bruyne is in space on the right, but they take far too long finding the Belgian. However, when he eventually does get the ball, he wastes the cross.
78 mins: Jenkinson goes down with what appears to be cramp, but the home fans aren’t that impressed as West Ham take a leisurely approach to treating him.
77 mins: Toure feeds Navas down the right with a pass that has a bit too much on it, but when the Spaniard eventually gets hold of it he absolutely leathers it to...a big bit of space outside the box. Three attackers in there, all now looking baffled.
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75 mins: De Bruyne plays a delicious little ball through to Kolarov, who scraps for the ball in the area with Sakho. They push each other, the City man goes down, but no penalty is forthcoming.
74 mins: Navas has quite a knack for picking out the spot in the box where there isn’t an attacker. Which he does again there, getting to the byline and clipping a ball into the middle, right in the middle of a selection of defenders, with attackers lurking elsewhere.
72 mins: Pinball again in the West Ham box! Toure and Fernandinho try shots, but they’re both blocked and again the visitors somehow keep it out. How long will they be able to hold out for?
70 mins: City have a corner from the right, it makes its way to Demichelis on the edge of the six-yard box, but he swings his right foot and slices it in completely the wrong direction.
69 mins: Sub for West Ham - Lanzini is off, and another debutant, Nikica Jelavic, is on.
68 mins: How are City not level? The ball is cut back to Toure, who tries a backheel flick at the near post, which he misses but the ball breaks back to him. He shoots with power, but it deflects off Reid and goes just wide.
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67 mins: Sakho gets the ball down West Ham’s right, and tries a clipped cross to the back stick, looking for Antonio, but the easier ball was Lanzini who was lurking around the penalty spot. Hart gathers with little fuss.
66 mins: Change for City, and somewhat surprisingly it’s Sterling that comes off, with Wilfried Bony coming on.
65 mins: Kolarov gets the ball down the left and fires a low cross in, but it’s cleared. The ball then eventually breaks to Navas on the right, but he takes it to the byline and, instead of playing it to one of the three players on the edge of the six-yard box, he simply hits it at Adrian, who shovels it behind for a corner.
63 mins: Toure is almost playing as a second striker here. Fernandinho fires a pass into him on the edge of the area, he controls superbly and shoots across goal....and just wide. Would’ve been a wonderful strike if it’d been six inches to the right.
62 mins: Sakho attacks down the left but is easily dispossessed, then Navas counters down the right but dithers, dithers, dithers and eventually puts his cross into Cresswell’s shins.
61 mins: Aguero takes the ball down brilliantly and breaks into the box, but goes down too easily under a Reid challenge. He asks for a penalty, but he does not get a penalty.
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60 mins: Change for West Ham, as Moses goes off and is replaced by Michail Antonio, the deadline day signing from Nottingham Forest.
59 mins: Kolarov lines up a shot from about 30 yards, and it sails well, well wide and a bit high too.
57 mins: After all this City pressure, West Ham go close. Sakho is set free down the left channel and dinks a finish with the outside of his right foot over the advancing Hart, but the ball skips wide.
55 mins: Brilliant stuff from City. Nice footwork from Sterling on the edge of the box allows him to feed Toure, who batters his way through the West Ham defence via strength and a brilliantly-weighted touch, but Adrian saves his chipped finish. City cooking now.
54 mins: Kolarov goes into the book for a most cynical trip on Moses, as he tries to break through the middle.
52 mins: City attack down the left and the ball finds Toure in the middle, who shoots powerfully but it’s blocked. Navas picks it up on the right, crosses into the middle where Aguero tumbles and the crowd claim a penalty, but nobody was convinced on the field, not least the ref.
51 mins: Payet runs through the middle and has a couple of options - Sakho through the middle, Moses to the right - but he delays and delays and by the time he picks the pass Sakho has to check his run and the danger is gone.
50 mins: More red hot dog entertainment chat here.
@NickMiller79 We've just got a new puppy. I recommend the music of Soft Cell. Seeing a small dog waddle along to Sex Dwarf is... different.
— Gaz Partington (@Gaz_MCFC) September 19, 2015
49 mins: De Bruyne again is the man creating danger, crossing for Aguero in the middle but it’s cleared. The ball breaks to Navas on the right, who drills in a low cross that deflects off a defender and forces Adrian into a fairly sharp save.
48 mins: Lovely play by City, working the ball with a bit of purpose around the 35-yard mark - as opposed to earlier in the game when it just looked a bit aimless - and setting up a chance for Toure to shoot. The angle wasn’t great for him, and his effort skips wide of the far post. He claims a touch, and there might have been a fingertip from Adrian, but it’s a goal kick.
46 mins: And we are off again. West Ham on the attack straight away, but Moses attempts a left-footed curler that we can file under ‘pretty ambitious’. It goes about ten yards wide.
They’re coming out for the second half, and it looks like there’s a change for City - Mangala is off, and Martin Demichelis is on. You’d think that’s an injury, because the Frenchman was pretty decent in the opening 45.
Niall Quinn is in the Sky studio, which affords us the opportunity to share one of the better terrace songs....
Zing.
@alfonsofish @NickMiller79 If you've got a football, a kickabout with her is a great idea. Or, you could put her on City's back line.
— Lorraine Berry (@BerryFLW) September 19, 2015
A half-time question...
@NickMiller79 watching the match with a dog I'm looking after. We r enjoying it. suggestions too keep her busy for the rest of the evening?
— epileptic fridge boy (@alfonsofish) September 19, 2015
Quite the game, then. City really haven’t been that bad, they’ve just had a couple of lapses at the back and haven’t been clinical enough up top. West Ham on the other hand have been super clinical, snaffling their chances and managing to keep things relatively tight. De Bruyne and Payet have both been splendid, as has Moses.
Told you this was going to be good.
Half-time: Manchester City 1-2 West Ham
Peeeeeeeeeeep.
45 mins + 6: Way past the initially indicated four minutes of stoppage time, but City have a corner from the left that is hoyed into the box by Kolarov, but it’s headed clear.
45mins +4: Obiang goes into the book for a challenge on Toure that wasn’t just late, it was Hollywood actor turning up for an interview at a swanky Bel Air hotel late.
45mins +3: City almost carve out another shooting chance straight away, but De Bruyne - the outstanding player of the half on either side, despite the scoreline - has his effort blocked.
45mins +2: Otamendi fires a ball into Aguero on the edge of the box. He controls brilliantly and lays it back to De Bruyne, who fires a low, powerful shot into the corner of the net. No chance for Adrian.
GOAL! Manchester City 1-2 West Ham (De Bruyne 45+2)
Excellent strike, there.
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45 mins: De Bruyne again sets up a chance, cutting back from the byline on the left for Aguero, but the Argentinean isn’t quite on it so far today and he skews his shot wide.
44 mins: Sakho comes back onto the pitch to some loud boos, but it was fairly clear that he was genuinely hurt, there.
42 mins: What a tackle! Payet slips a delicious ball through to Sakho, who beats Kolarov to the ball and is through on goal, but Mangala just gets there to make a goal-saving tackle. Sakho is hurt, and the refree causes some consternation by stopping the play as City try to launch an attack.
41 mins: De Bruyne gets the ball just outside the box on the left and curls a cross over looking for Toure in the middle, but Adrian comes out and catches with relative ease.
40 mins: Great chance for Aguero. Sagna gets the ball in space on the right, has time to pick out a cross and feeds Aguero at the near post, who tries a backheel flick but can’t get enough on it, and Adrian eventually gathers.
39 mins: Again it’s De Bruyne providing the spark for City, as he cuts it back to Navas on the right side of the box. His shot is saved, the ball breaks out to Aguero on the left who also tries a shot, but that one goes way wide.
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37 mins: Otamendi lucky not to go into the book there after a pretty hefty foul on Sakho. From behind, that. Naughty boy.
35 mins: Sterling scoops a splendid ball over the top as City try to get back into this, but Aguero - who would’ve been absolutely clear on goal - was about half a yard offside. Very close, but the right call from the lino.
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33 mins: A few of the City players were rather hopefully claiming offside against Obiang there, but no chance there. “We’re gonna win the league!” holler the West Ham fans.
31 mins: The corner goes to the far post, it’s headed towards goal by Winston Reid, it’s blocked by Fernandinho then Obiang takes a swing, but Sakho gets there to bundle the thing home. What a start!
GOAL! Manchester City 0-2 West Ham (Sakho 31)
Another! My word!
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30 mins: Jenkinson gets down the right and is allowed to cross by Kolarov, but his effort looking for Moses in the middle is put behind for a corner.
29 mins: De Bruyne seems to be the main catalyst for City at the moment. Again he tries a through ball but Navas can’t quite get hold of it.
28 mins: City again keep the ball around 40 yards from goal. De Bruyne tries to get things going with a piercing ball through to Sterling, but he’s half a pace offside on the edge of the box.
26 mins: Another chance for City to make inroads from the right, but Sagna gets far too much on a cross and it sails away. Jenkinson again then takes his own sweet time over the throw. Seriously, it’s too early for this stuff.
25 mins: Some terrific play by West Ham almost puts them in down the left, but City counter at some pace. Navas gets the ball on the right of the area, seems to dither and when he eventually attempts the cross it’s blocked.
24 mins: City have kept the ball for about the last minutes, but it’s pass, pass, pass, largely sideways, and West Ham stand firm. Otamendi gets bored and tries a long diagonal, but it goes straight through to Adrian.
22 mins: Yellow card for Lanzini, who nearly rugby tackles Sterling as the England man drives into the West Ham half through the middle.
21 mins: Noble almost puts his team in trouble as City counter from the corner, but with Sterling and Navas closing in, Adrian emerges from his area to mop up.
20 mins: West Ham nearly in again as Moses feeds Jenkinson, he just keeps the ball in play at the byline and crosses, but Otamendi is there to block, before Sakho in the middle could get there.
18 mins: Sterling gets the ball out on the left and tries to thread a pass through between centre-back and right-back for Aguero, but it’s not quite thready enough. City then attack down the right through Navas, De Bruyne overlaps and puts in a low cross to the near post, and Aguero miscues his shot.
15 mins: West Ham look like they’re time-wasting already. Jenkinson takes a full 30 seconds over a throw on the right, in their own half. Bit early for that, chaps.
13 mins: City win a corner on the right, which Navas zips over and Nicholas Otamendi meets it, but heads just wide.
11 mins: Toure finds himself on the right wing and swings the cross over to find Sterling, but after a decent first touch he hesitates and can’t bring the ball properly under control.
9 mins: City should be level. De Bruyne plays a diagonal out to the right looking for Navas, Cresswell gets to it first but can only head it inside, into the path of Aguero, who nips it around Adrian who for some reason had stormed out of his goal, but Aguero gets the ball stuck under his feet and can’t get any direction or power behind the shot, from the edge of the area, and it goes wide.
8 mins: A foul throw! Moses wins the throw on the right, then is pulled up for not completing the formalities. Arguably negates the goal...
6 mins: Well, well, well. Victor Moses picks the ball up around 35 yards out, moves towards goal and isn’t properly closed down - indeed, barely closed down at all - so gets to about 25 yards from goal and shoots, right-footed. Joe Hart seems a little unsighted, he moves late and the ball beats him at the near post.
GOAL! Manchester City 0-1 West Ham (Moses 6)
NOW then.
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4 mins: De Bruyne puts the corner over and finds Mangala, rising high in the middle to smack a header towards goal, but Adrian punches - a little unconvincingly - away.
3 mins: City knock the ball around fairly harmlessly for a bit, but then a series of quick passes finds De Bruyne out on the right. He crosses low into the box, but it’s put behind for a corner.
1 min: We’re away. Looks like it’s De Bruyne taking Silva’s place in the No.10 role.
The teams are out, they’re in the correct position (the pitch) and like Republica, we’re ready to go.
LATE TEAM NEWS CHANGE
David Silva was injured in the warm-up, so Jesus Navas comes in to replace him. Will be interesting to see how City change their set-up there, whether Raheem Sterling or Kevin de Bruyne plays behind Sergio Aguero.
You’ll notice that Vinny Kompany isn’t in the Manchester City team, and Pellegrini reckons it’s down to his paaaasssshhhhuuurrrrn.
The manager shrugged off the number of calf issues Kompany has had, and pointed to how the Belgian approaches his game. “The way he plays, Vincent plays with 100% intensity, not just every game but every training session,” Pellegrini said. “That’s the way he always works.”
Asked if he had ever requested Kompany to ease off, the Chilean said: “It’s difficult. It is not easy for him. He tries sometimes not to be always 100% intensity, but you cannot change.
“It is always important [not] to have injured players, especially the captain and especially in a moment when we didn’t concede any goals in the first five games. I think it is important to carry on playing with the same names but I always say we have a squad.”
Last few moments of the 3pm kick-offs over here. Follow them with yer boy Nick Ames.
Team news
Manchester City
Hart; Sagna, Otamendi, Mangala, Kolarov; Toure, Fernandinho; De Bruyne, Sterling, Silva; Aguero. Subs: Caballero, Maffeo, Demichelis, Fernando, Navas, Bony, Iheanacho.
West Ham United
Adrian; Jenkinson, Tomkins, Reid, Cresswell; Obiang, Noble; Lanzini, Payet, Moses; Sakho. Subs: Randolph, Collins, Oxford, Antonio, Carroll, Zarate, Jelavic.
Referee: Robert Madley (Wakefield)
Preamble
I forget where it was, but the other day someone raised the possibility of Manchester City going the full season unbeaten. There have been five games so far. Sure, they’ve been very impressive in winning all five of those games, but let’s not get too giddy just a month or so into the season, eh?
Still, it’s probably difficult not to get a little bit over-excited about their start to the season, particularly when you look at what everyone else has been doing. Or, otherwise, as the case might be. Chelsea won earlier, but that was their second win and seventh point of the campaign, Arsenal are Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham and Everton are nowhere near good enough and Manchester United are still a work in progress, even in Louis van Gaal’s second season at Old Trafford. Even considering the inevitable regression to the mean for City, at this stage it’s tricky to see anyone else being better than them over the season.
Today, though. Today actually could be quite interesting. It’s not so much that West Ham were very impressive against Newcastle on Monday (which carries with it the obvious caveat of it being against Newcastle), with Dimitri Payet and Victor Moses looking very good indeed, but they were excellent on the counter-attack. They had pace and were clinical, two qualities you would hesitate to ascribe to them only a few weeks ago.
That sort of thing might be very handy indeed against City, particularly as Manuel Pellegrini’s team’s primary weakness is at full-back, on both sides. Seems weird to write it, but Moses might well be the key man in this one.
Plus we have the pleasure of watching Payet (pronounced Pie-yet, incidentally, rather than Pay-yey) again, which is an absolute joy. Slaven Bilic’s comparison between Payet and David Silva might be a bit much, but the Hammers boss said of the Frenchman on Monday: “He’s not only a great player that is deciding games but he makes all players around him play better. That is the most important thing you want in a footballer; someone who is not only an individual but a team player. I’ve known him a long time and I tried to get him to Besiktas last year but it was impossible. He is the player I really wanted from the start and hoped he would come [but] I didn’t believe it would happen.”
Chelsea v Arsenal earlier on was entertaining in a rather brash, flashy, violent way, but this one could be a cracker too, only without quite as many combustible characters.
Kick-off: 5.30pm BST
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