Manchester City Take Over Top Spot From Arsenal On The Premier League Table

Manchester City displaced Arsenal at the summit of the Premier League with a commanding 3-0 win over West Ham United at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.

In the first half, Pep Guardiola’s side endured a frustrating spell, hitting the post twice, while the Hammers produced some impressive defending.

However, Nathan Ake headed home soon after the restart, and Erling Haaland went on to score his record-breaking 35th Premier League goal of the season.

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Phil Foden sealed the victory with a late strike, leaving City one point ahead of Arsenal with a game in hand as they seek to retain the trophy.

Guardiola decided to bench goalkeeper Ederson while Kevin De Bruyne was absent from the matchday squad. West Ham was also without several key players, including Declan Rice, Kurt Zouma, and Tomas Soucek.

City dominated the early possession, with Julian Alvarez and Riyad Mahrez testing Lukasz Fabianski from range twice. Aaron Cresswell produced a crucial interception to stop Haaland from being left wide open against the West Ham goalkeeper.

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Haaland had another opportunity on 24 minutes, heading over from a tight angle following Jack Grealish’s cross. However, the next significant opportunity fell to West Ham, with Ortega forced into a vital save to deny Jarrod Bowen at his near post.

City almost scored twice before halftime, with Grealish’s effort hitting the post after he tested Fabianski with a sharp shot.

Rodri also struck the post with the ball dribbling across the line and out to safety. However, the score remained 0-0 at halftime, with West Ham defending superbly.

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It didn’t take long for City to take the lead after the break. Ake’s powerful header beat Fabianski at the back post after the former AFC Bournemouth defender was left unmarked from Mahrez’s free-kick.

Alvarez shot from distance as he looked to double City’s lead, but it was Haaland who made it 2-0 on 70 minutes from Grealish’s slick pass, becoming the first Premier League player to score 35 top-flight goals in a single season.

Foden extended the lead with five minutes to play, scoring City’s 1000th goal under Guardiola. His first-time volley from a cleared corner took a deflection off Emerson and wrong-footed Fabianski to secure a 3-0 victory.