No word from Manuel Pellegrini, who is presumably seething right now. It was a miserable afternoon for his new-look West Ham, but then they were playing the relentless champions, who have now won 15 Premier League games in a row. They are always magical as a collective, though today Raheem Sterling shone brightest. A superb hat-trick. West Ham go away to lick their wounds, while City will already be thinking about joining Huddersfield Town, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United as three-in-a-row title winners. Thanks for reading!
Pep’s verdict! “It was a typical first day of the season. Heavy and hot. In the first half, we had to improve, but that’s normal. What’s important is taking the three points. It is an incredible result, but we know we have to improve. We have many things to improve. We have lost a bit with VAR [in having to wait to see whether you can celebrate a goal]. We have to control our emotions and be strong, positive or negative. It is part of the game.”
On BT Sport, former referee Peter Walton gives his verdict on VAR. “It’s been a good day for VAR, it’s been a good day for the Premier League in its adverts. The software is top-end stuff, it’s so accurate it’s unbelievable. It’s all mathematically assumed. I think by the end of this season, fans and media will accept that a player is a millimetre offside with the technology that we’ve got.” Good luck with getting everyone 100 percent onside with that. The blithe confidence of it! These people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.
Hat-trick hero Sterling speaks! “The most important thing was three points, to start well. At times we were a bit sloppy in the first half, but once the second goal went in, I thought the lads were brilliant. It was difficult in the firest half to get the cobewbs off. The breathing was heavy and some of the touches were sloppy. But once the second goal went in, we could find our passes. We were smoother and a lot more chances came. I am trying to improve my finishing. There are competitions in training, and it’s just a joy to put the ball in the back of the net!” As for VAR? “It’s a bit difficult during the game, because you want your goal to stand. But at the end of the day, so long as the decisions are right, that’s all that matters.” The man’s a born diplomat.
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FULL TIME: West Ham United 0-5 Manchester City
The champions are quite magnificent. Raheem Sterling is brilliant. West Ham are still a work in progress. VAR can do one.
90 min +4: West Ham waste the free kick. It’s been a miserable afternoon for the hosts, with Ederson barely breaking sweat. One magnificent double save apart, of course.
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90 min +3: After VAR checks the obviously legit goal is good - FOR THE LOVE OF GOD - the game restarts and Sterling is booked for a slide on Snodgrass.
GOAL! West Ham United 0-5 Manchester City (Sterling 90+1)
Mahrez drops deep and slides a pass down the inside-right channel to release Sterling. Fabianski comes out and commits himself, allowing Sterling to slot neatly into the bottom right for an opening-day hat-trick!
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90 min: There will be five added minutes. Not yet sure whether this number has been checked, cleared, and processed in triplicate by the VAR man.
89 min: Practical Solutions to VAR Nonsense (pt II): “How about a rule that gives something like half a metre leeway which would account for longer arms, bigger quiffs, etc.?” wonders Colin Young.
88 min: Practical Solutions to VAR Nonsense (pt I): “Sterling should have taped his sleeve down to stop it flapping into an offside position,” suggests Denise Robinson.
87 min: Walker is booked for a late clank on Fornals. The crowd cheer in the sarcastic fashion.
GOAL! West Ham United 0-4 Manchester City (Aguero 86 pen)
Aguero gets a second chance, and doesn’t make the same mistake twice. He slots this one into the bottom left, Fabianski jumping the other way.
84 min: Sterling wants to take it. But Aguero gets his way. And he misses it. A dreadful effort, straight at Fabianski, who parries clear. But ... it’s going to be taken again, because Fabianski had jumped forward, while Rice had encroached before Aguero took the kick. Good old VAR. Eh?
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Penalty to City!
83 min: Mahrez drops a shoulder and slips into the area from the right. Doip hangs out a leg, and after a bit of thought the ref points to the spot. Correctly. No need for VAR.
81 min: Corner for West Ham. Ederson snaffles Snodgrass’s delivery.
79 min: Gundogan and Foden come on for De Bruyne and Silva. De Bruyne takes receipt of one of Pep’s patented theatrical tactical bollockings. All very animated.
77 min: Naturally, the VAR goons have to stick their nebs in. For a brief second, it looks like Sterling was half an inch offside, but they zoom in and it turns out Balbuena had a hangnail that was playing him on. So the goal stands.
GOAL! West Ham United 0-3 Manchester City (Sterling 75)
Mahrez cuts in from the right and dinks a ball down the channel for Sterling, who loops it over the outrushing Fabianski and into the net. Such an exquisite finish!
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73 min: A sensational double save by Ederson! Hernandez meets a cross from the right, sticking out a thigh and sending the ball goalwards from six yards. Ederson parries. The ball loops to Lanzini, who guides a header towards the bottom left. It’s going in, but Ederson sticks out an arm to turn it away. What a stop (x2)!
72 min: Ederson releases Mahrez clear on the right. The flag goes up for offside. Another very close one.
71 min: Fornals threads a pass down the right for Fredericks. The resulting low cross is cleared easily enough. This is a little better from West Ham, though Ederson still hasn’t had a great deal to do.
70 min: Lanzini dribbles down the left and stands one up to the far post. Zinchenko heads clear under pressure from Haller, who has had a quiet debut.
68 min: Aguero replaces Jesus. “Sad to say, but this will be just one of 10 million emails you’ll get on VAR,” predicts Hubert O’Hearn. “Yeah, the Sterling non-goal is exactly what I feared – technically correct, but miles away from the spirit of the rules of the game. Offside is to prevent cherry picking, not whether a winger wears a size 11 boot (onside!) or 11 ½ (Oooooo ... just offside). VAR – or whatever the term is in cricket – works great there. Football ... not so much. May God save us all from ‘improvements’.” Preach on, brother.
66 min: Exit Anderson, with a limp. Hernandez comes on in his stead. “You’re going to have to stop posting GOAL! and instead post GOAL?,” writes JR in Illinois, presumably typing with a heavy heart and a sigh. “If only Raheem Sterling had shaved his armpit hair this morning! But seriously, VAR is absolutely brutal.”
64 min: Anderson is down clutching his thigh. It doesn’t look as though he’s in the mood to continue.
62 min: Like London buses ... Anderson is shown a yellow card for coming in late on Laporte.
61 min: Balbuena is booked for sliding in on Jesus.
60 min: Snodgrass whips into the centre. Ederson comes out and flaps. Diop heads over the bar, with the goal unguarded. West Ham so close to getting back into the game!
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59 min: Cresswell is brought down by Mahrez, near the corner flag on the left. A free kick in a dangerous position.
57 min: Snodgrass is on for Wilshere, who last completed 90 minutes in 1968.
VAR: NO GOAL! West Ham United 0-2 Manchester City
This is preposterous. Sterling’s shoulder was about one millimetre offside as he was sent clear by Silva. The goal’s ruled out. Can you hear that hissing sound? That’s the spirit going out of the game.
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GOAL! West Ham United 0-3 Manchester City (Jesus 53)
Oh yes, that’s why they’re champions. West Ham are carved apart down the left. Sterling is released down the wing by Zinchenko, then exchanges passes with Silva. Sterling is free in the area, with Jesus in the centre. He rolls the ball across the face of goal. Jesus slots home.
GOAL! West Ham United 0-2 Manchester City (Sterling 51)
This was incredibly simple, but such a good goal. Mahrez wriggles free from a tight spot on the right and slips a pass inside for De Bruyne, who powers down the middle into space. Sterling is clear on the left. De Bruyne finds him with a perfectly weighted pass. Sterling takes a touch and slips the ball past a helpless Fabianski. As the old song goes, that’s why they’re champions.
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50 min: Mahrez crosses from the left. Sterling aims a weak header straight at Fabianski. I wonder when West Ham plan to come out for the second half.
49 min: City continue to stroke it about. West Ham have hardly had a touch since the restart.
47 min: Fornals is on for Antonio. City have immediately imposed themselves again. Silva neatly slides Zinchenko into space down the left. Diop does well to slap his low cross clear.
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We’re off again! City get the ball rolling for the second half. Meanwhile, before any meaningful action occurs, here’s our old friend Mac Millings making reference to an MBM from 2007, for goodness sake. “Dearest Scott, I know It’s back! and It’s on!, but, while I’m excitedly nervous about how my hometown Hornets and their record signing, Ismaila Sarr, are going to fare, as far as the top of the table goes, I am decidedly uninspired by a two-horse race that’s really a one-horse race. I’m probably wrong (I usually am) so cheer me up, Scotty, otherwise it’s THE GUARDIAN PATENTED FUNK-O-METER®: B.” For some reason, the GUARDIAN PATENTED FUNK-O-METER® seems to have been removed from our image database, so inquisitive young minds, desirous of knowing what Old Mac is yammering on about, will have to click here to find out. While you’re there, please consider that this is the sort of thing you won’t get at The Athletic. Thanks. You’re welcome.
Half-time entertainment. A schadenfreude special for City fans.
HALF TIME: West Ham United 0-1 Manchester City
And that’s the end of the first half. West Ham started confidently, but City quickly grew into the game and took the lead thanks to Kyle Walker’s blistering pace and Gabriel Jesus’s cute finish. The hosts will be glad to hear the whistle. Time to regroup and rethink. The champions look in control.
45 min +1: One added minute. And City nearly make it two. Diop snatches at a simple clearance on the edge of the West Ham box. The ball goes straight to Jesus, who should probably hoick it back over Fabianski, in no man’s land, yards from his line. But Jesus hits it straight at the keeper, who is gifted the save.
44 min: Antonio slides Fredericks clear on the overlap, down the right. He hooks a cross into the mixer from the byline, but Haller can’t bring the ball down. City momentarily exposed ... but Ederson still hasn’t had to make a serious save.
43 min: Rodri clatters into the back of Wilshere. He’s really testing the crowd’s patience now. But the referee still isn’t minded to act.
42 min: City ping it around prettily and patiently again. Mesmeric. Then Silva flicks a pass down the left to release Sterling. The flag goes up for offside, which seems a tad incorrect. But that’s the way the lino sees it.
40 min: Rodri tugs Rice’s shirt as the West Ham midfielder looks to burst into space in the midfield. He should probably be booked for that sly move, but the referee is in a generous mood.
39 min: De Bruyne strides with great purpose down the right. He opens his body to fashion a delicate cross, intended for Sterling in the middle, but Balbuena intercepts and clears. City are wreaking havoc down this flank.
37 min: West Ham having sparked into life again, City ping it around slowly to take the heat out of the match. And then suddenly pounce themselves, De Bruyne exchanging passes with Silva out on the left, cutting into the area and smashing a shot towards the bottom left. Fabianski smothers.
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35 min: West Ham have rediscovered their early mojo and are pressing foward again. Antonio flicks into the City box from the right. Haller, with his back to goal, tries to guide a shot over his shoulder and into the top left. There’s no whip on his effort, though, and Ederson claims with ease.
33 min: And now Rodri is down, having taken an accidental whack in the mush from Antonio. It’s all legit, though it doesn’t stop the VAR machine cranking slowly into action and stopping play for a bit.
32 min: Now the West Ham fans want a penalty, as Zinchenko slides in on Lanzini, who was scooting down the right. It’s a fair challenge, though.
31 min: The home crowd have been quiet since City’s opener. But their spirits are raised when Rice puts in a reducer on Zinchenko in the midfield.
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30 min: A bit of space for Cresswell down the left. His cross is too deep, though it doesn’t really matter because there was nobody in the box anyway.
29 min: Now it’s Mahrez’s turn to scream down the right. Cresswell is being hung out to dry here, with little help from his team-mates. Mahrez crosses low into a packed box, but Fabianski gathers bravely.
27 min: And now, all of a sudden, the home side look jittery. Walker surges down the right again. Nothing comes of that sortie, but De Bruyne is soon chipping in from the same flank in the hope of supplying either Jesus or Silva. Both are offside. But the champions are suddenly firing on all cylinders.
26 min: That’s taken the wind out of the home crowd’s sail. West Ham were gaining confidence, but City have nipped that in the bud quicksmart.
GOAL! West Ham United 0-1 Manchester City (Jesus 24)
Mahrez slips Walker clear down the right, on the overlap. Walker is really motoring! He reaches the byline, Cresswell totally burned, and hooks towards the near post. Diop lunges in to slide clear for a corner, but can only nick the ball on. Jesus dinks the ball in from close range, as neat and crisp as you like!
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22 min: Wilshere has time to send Anderson into acres of space down the right, but plays the ball straight to Zinchenko instead. The home faithful groan. That was a great chance to put his man in on goal.
21 min: Mahrez should score. Sterling robs a dawdling Rice on the edge of the West Ham box. He slips the ball to De Bruyne, who dinks a pass down the inside right for Mahrez. The winger drops a shoulder and sends Cresswell off to the wrong fire. He’s one on one with Fabianski, but drags his shot into the side netting.
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20 min: But then Fabianski hasn’t had much to do yet either. Walker bombs down the right but his cross inside, intended for Jesus, is easily mopped up by the West Ham keeper.
18 min: Haller is sent scampering down the left. City are light at the back, but instead of driving at Walker, the new striker lays off to Lanzini, who immediately falls over. West Ham look reasonably dangerous when they power forward, though they’ve not forced Ederson into any sort of meaningful action yet.
17 min: Sterling is upended by Fredericks just to the left of the West Ham area. A dangerous position to be giving up a free kick. But Silva wastes it, attempting to play Sterling into the box with a quickly slipped pass down the inside left. Sterling doesn’t read it, and Fabianski gathers, much to the crowd’s amusement.
15 min: Mahrez probes down the right, then passes to Silva, who slaps a fierce low shot inches wide of the right-hand post. City have been strangely lax so far, but there’s an example of how quickly they are capable of turning such a situation round. So close to the opening goal.
14 min: Now it’s De Bruyne’s turn to give up possession near his own goal. Antonio is gifted an opportunity to cross from the right, but he wastes it, hooking high over everyone in the centre.
12 min: Anderson has a look down the right, but Rodri doesn’t give up the chase. West Ham are in an adventurous mood. It doesn’t look as though there’s to be any bus parking, despite the obvious threat City carry.
10 min: Nothing happens at the set piece. But it’s been a bright, lively game so far.
9 min: It’s Walker again, though this time in much more positive fashion. He glides down the right and lays off to Mahrez, who cuts inside, then shoots low and hard towards the bottom left. Fabianski extends an arm to save well and concede a corner.
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7 min: Walker again sheds the ball needlessly. Lanzini scampers down the inside-left channel, and goes over in the box as Rodri comes across, shoulder to shoulder. Lanzini claims for a penalty as he goes down, but the referee - as well as whoever’s on the VAR - isn’t interested. Quite rightly so.
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5 min: West Ham stroke it around for a while. They make little progress upfield, but that’s not really the point. Everyone’s had a touch, and City are uncharacteristically ponderous in these opening exchanges.
3 min: City get a feel of the ball for the first time, but soon Walker cheaply gives up possession. Anderson gets the better of Laporte down the right, but his cutback is met in the clumsy fashion by Wilshere, whose heavy touch gets City - and Walker - off the hook. A slow start for the champions.
2 min: But it comes to nothing. Cresswell is down, having taken a whack in the mouth, Walker holding out an arm. All accidental. The Hammers defender is up again soon enough.
And we’re off! Here’s hoping there’s no need for the old VAR, which makes its Premier League debut this week. Balls to it! West Ham get the ball rolling, and there are indeed plenty of pretty bubbles in the air. A huge roar as the hosts press immediately down the left wing. Walker is forced to hack out near the corner flag. A throw deep in City territory.
The teams are out! And about! West Ham sport claret shirts with cute 70s-throwback blue panel. Manchester City are sadly not wearing the extremely pretty 70s-throwback shirts paraded at the Community Shield; instead it’s second-choice black for them. It’s a cracking opening-day atmosphere at the London Stadium; Bubbles flying so high, they reach the sky. We’ll be off in two shakes of a lamb’s tail! In the meantime, here’s the first dissenting email of the new season, from Alistair Drummond: “I would assert it’s no longer necessary to state Mike Dean is from the Wirral given his widely-publicised celebrations for Tranmere last season.”
Manuel Pellegrini speaks! “It’s a new season. All the teams are stronger. But I am confident we have a good squad, and I hope we are more consistent. We have a lot of new signings and players who couldn’t play for us last season because of injury. I hope with Sebastien Haller’s quality and with our technical midfield he will be a successful player here.”
The first Pep talk of the new season: “We have seen this much together, the guys always try to do their best. Manuel Pellegrini is an experienced manager, his teams always play in the proper style. First games of the season are always tricky, especially when you play away. But it is what it is. We will try to focus, and improve from here.”
Sebastien Haller, West Ham’s £45m record signing makes his debut ... but never mind that! Jack Wilshere starts his first game in 11 months. Jack Wilshere! As for the champions ... Sergio Aguero and Bernardo Silva are on the bench. Gabriel Jesus and new boy Rodri go at it from kick-off.
The teams
West Ham United: Fabianski, Fredericks, Diop, Balbuena, Cresswell, Wilshere, Rice, Antonio, Lanzini, Felipe Anderson, Haller.
Subs: Zabaleta, Hernandez, Snodgrass, Roberto, Sanchez, Fornals, Ogbonna.
Manchester City: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Laporte, Zinchenko, De Bruyne, Rodri, Silva, Mahrez, Gabriel Jesus, Sterling.
Subs: Bravo, Gundogan, Aguero, Bernardo Silva, Joao Cancelo, Otamendi, Foden.
Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral).
Preamble
Manchester City don’t half love the London Stadium. Since West Ham United moved into their new gaff back in 2016, City have paid a visit on four occasions. They’ve gone back with the spoils every time, always enjoying themselves immensely in the process: 0-5, 0-4, 1-4, 0-4. Throw in three wins at the Etihad, and City are on a seven-game winning streak against the Hammers.
Factor this in too: Pep Guardiola’s treble-winning champions are effectively on a 14-match winning streak in the Premier League. For that is how they finished off last season, how they finished off Liverpool. They’re not half bad, this lot. West Ham - who have lost an unprecedented 12 opening-day fixtures in the Premier League era - have their work cut out today.
But if City are allowed to carry over their 14-match winning streak from last season, then West Ham must be allowed their three-win sequence at the end of the previous campaign too. And that’s not the only reason for optimism in the east end. Having finished comfortably tenth in 2018-19, Manuel Pellegrini has made some significant summer upgrades, including £45m record signing Sebastien Haller and former Villarreal midfielder Pablo Fornals. Both are expected to make their debuts today. Jack Wilshere is fit! And losing streaks are there to be snapped. So, y’know.
The wind is forecast to be up, though bookies have the champs as strong favourites to breeze through anyway. Will the conditions be a leveller? Will the hosts cause a shock and hit the ground running? Or will City chalk up the first three points of yet another huge title-winning haul? We’ll find out soon enough. It’s the Premier League! It’s back! It’s on!
Kick off: 12.30pm BST.
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