Goodnightpublished at 20:30 Greenwich Mean Time 4 January
Thanks for joining us today. Match of the Day is on BBC One at 22:20 GMT. We'll be back for two Premier League games tomorrow including the big one at Anfield.
Erling Haaland scored twice in the Premier League for the first time in over three months as Manchester City hammered West Ham to equal their biggest win of the season.
Haaland followed up his header late in the first half by calmly chipping over advancing West Ham keeper Alphonse Areola after running on to a through ball from Savinho.
Savinho was arguably City's best player. It was the Brazilian who forced their 10th-minute opener with a left-wing cross that deflected off Vladimir Coufal and left Areola stranded.
Phil Foden added a fourth, tapping home only his second league goal of the season after Kevin de Bruyne unselfishly set him up rather than attempting to mark his 400th City appearance in style.
West Ham did pull one back when Niclas Fullkrug turned home skipper Tomas Soucek's cross 19 minutes from time but Crysencio Summerville wasted their best chance after that when he was off target with the goal at his mercy.
It was the first time City have won successive games since October and will at least allow manager Pep Guardiola to feel a corner is starting to be turned after the horror run that has led to the club's Treble-winning boss questioning himself in a way scarcely imaginable for most of his nine-year reign.
In contrast, West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui remains under intense pressure. This defeat was not on the same scale as the five-goal home loss to Liverpool in the Hammers' last game.
But former manager David Moyes' presence in the stands was a reminder the east London outfit have not made the progress anticipated when the Scot left at the end of last season - and Lopetegui could yet pay the price for that.
City have started 2025 in the way they would have wanted and with League Two Salford visiting in the FA Cup next week, they have something to build on. But Guardiola will know their problems have not disappeared.
In a single moment, the impact Rodri's absence continues to have on City was highlighted during a strange opening period.
As Rico Lewis struggled to deal with a bouncing ball from a West Ham half clearance, Mateo Kovacic got himself round to help, but without anticipating the danger posed by an onrushing Summerville.
When Lewis turned towards his own goal, Summerville pounced. It is easy to imagine Rodri getting across to cover, but Kovacic was in slightly the wrong place and lacked the pace to make amends.
For all the talk of Rodri returning before the end of the season - and at the very least for City's Club World Cup campaign next summer - Guardiola knows his side will remain weaker without an adequate replacement.
Of the trio of highly rated players City have an interest in - Eintracht Frankfurt forward Omar Marmoush, Uzbekistan defender Abdukodir Khusanov and Atalanta midfielder Ederson - evidently the latter is most suited to City's need.
But in all the cases, there is uncertainty over how much over the odds City would have to pay to lure someone in mid-season who is such a key figure for their clubs. Atalanta, for instance, are top of Serie A and aiming to be champions for the first time in their history.
These are issues for outgoing sporting director Txiki Begiristain and City's executive team to resolve.
For now, Guardiola must hope a 10-day break until his side's next league game offers a bit of respite from injury woes that kept Ederson, Ruben Dias and John Stones out of this game and had 39-year-old keeper Scott Carson warming up late on as Stefan Ortega received treatment for what appeared to be a back problem.
City have now beaten West Ham in 15 of their past 16 home Premier League encounters, and the Hammers are now without a win in 19 matches against this particular opponent, which is an unwanted club record.
Lopetegui is not responsible for that tale of woe but he wouldn't need to be to know even an off-form City did not need presents.
Yet that is exactly what keeper Areola gave them in the final minute of what had been an encouraging opening period to effectively kill the visitors' hopes of getting anything out of the contest.
Savinho's left-wing cross was excellent, but it was obvious it was going to the far post. Inexplicably, Areola, in a central position, started to come for it even though there was no chance of him getting there.
The former PSG man, 31, checked himself after a couple of strides but by then it was too late. Haaland had an open goal to head into.
It was an outcome that would have compounded West Ham frustrations after Soucek, named skipper as Jarrod Bowen begins his recovery from a broken foot, turned an excellent chance wide after he had been picked out by Mohammed Kudus.
In addition, there was incredulity from the Hammers bench when referee Michael Salisbury blew for a foul by Summerville on Manuel Akanji when it seemed last season's EFL player of the year had merely capitalised on the City defender taking too much time deciding where to pass the ball.
Without Salisbury's intervention, Summerville would have been clean through. Lopetegui was furious. Guardiola's reaction, to look down and rub his head, was a strong hint he felt his side had got away with one.
Haaland made sure City extracted maximum advantage.
After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users.
Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 18 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 45 | 17 | 28 | 45 |
| |
2 | 20 | 11 | 7 | 2 | 39 | 18 | 21 | 40 |
| |
3 | 19 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 26 | 19 | 7 | 37 |
| |
4 | 20 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 39 | 24 | 15 | 36 |
| |
5 | 20 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 34 | 22 | 12 | 35 |
| |
6 | 20 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 36 | 27 | 9 | 34 |
| |
7 | 20 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 30 | 23 | 7 | 33 |
| |
8 | 20 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 30 | 32 | -2 | 32 |
| |
9 | 19 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 28 | 25 | 3 | 29 |
| |
10 | 20 | 6 | 10 | 4 | 30 | 29 | 1 | 28 |
| |
11 | 20 | 8 | 3 | 9 | 38 | 35 | 3 | 27 |
| |
12 | 20 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 42 | 30 | 12 | 24 |
| |
13 | 20 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 24 | 39 | -15 | 23 |
| |
14 | 19 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 21 | 26 | -5 | 22 |
| |
15 | 20 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 21 | 28 | -7 | 21 |
| |
16 | 19 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 15 | 25 | -10 | 17 |
| |
17 | 19 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 31 | 42 | -11 | 16 |
| |
18 | 19 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 18 | 33 | -15 | 15 |
| |
19 | 20 | 3 | 5 | 12 | 23 | 44 | -21 | 14 |
| |
20 | 20 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 12 | 44 | -32 | 6 |
|
Manager: Pep Guardiola
Formation: 4 - 1 - 4 - 1
Manager: Julen Lopetegui
Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1
Manager: Pep Guardiola
Formation: 4 - 1 - 4 - 1
Manager: Julen Lopetegui
Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1
Premier League
All competitions
All competitions
All competitions
Man City have won 14 of their last 15 Premier League home games against West Ham (L1), including the last eight in a row since a 2-1 loss in September 2015.
West Ham are winless in their last 18 Premier League games against Man City, since a 2-1 away win in September 2015. Against no side have the Hammers had a longer winless run in their league history (also 18 vs Liverpool between 1983 and 1994).
West Ham have conceded at least once in each of their last 24 Premier League games against Man City – only against Sunderland have they had a longer run without a clean sheet in their league history (25 between 1923 and 1968), a run they ended with an 8-0 win with Geoff Hurst scoring six goals.
Manchester City have won their first league game in 17 of the last 18 calendar years, including each of the last 12 in a row since a 1-0 loss at Sunderland on New Year’s Day 2012.
West Ham haven’t lost their opening league game in any of the last seven calendar years (W4 D3), since a 2-0 loss to Man Utd in 2017. This is the first time they’re facing the reigning champions in their first league game of the year since 2006, and a 3-1 defeat to Chelsea.
Manchester City have failed to win either of their last two Premier League home games, despite opening the scoring both times (1-2 v Manchester United, 1-1 v Everton). They’ve not failed to win three consecutive home league games despite scoring first each time since December/January in 2003-04.
In 2024, West Ham conceded more goals than any other Premier League side (79), finishing the year with a 5-0 home defeat against Liverpool.
Man City have won all eight of their Premier League home games against West Ham under Pep Guardiola – only Arsène Wenger has a better 100% home win rate against an opponent in the competition (11/11 vs Leicester, 10/10 vs Stoke).
Man City’s Erling Haaland has scored seven goals in just five Premier League games against West Ham, though only one of these has come at the Etihad Stadium.
Since the start of last season, Jarrod Bowen has been involved in 16 away Premier League goals (10 goals, 6 assists), double that of any of his West Ham teammates. Overall, only Michail Antonio (36 goals, 11 assists) and Mark Noble (20 goals, 13 assists) have more goals and assists in away games for the Hammers than Bowen (14 goals, 17 assists).