28 min: “No running, pressing, marking, or quality on the ball,” writes Niall Mullen, channeling his inner Pepper Brooks. “You have to say that it’s a bold strategy from West Ham. Let’s see if it pays off.”
Комментарии 0
...комментариев пока нет
West Ham v Manchester City: Premier League – live
Key events
26 min: Jeremy Doku exchanges passes with Kevin De Bruyne and tries to dart for the byline but is foiled by Emerson, who slides in to put the ball out for a throw-in deep in West Ham territory.
25 min: Josko Gvardiol gets on the end of an outswinging Kevin De Bruyne corner but directs his header straight into the arms of Areola from distance.
23 min: Getting richer by the second as millions of Oasis fans eff and jeff at their computers and phones while trying to buy overpriced tickets for his band’s reunion tour online, Noel Gallagher sits impassively in the stand watching a fun game.
22 min: There was no need for Dias to try to clear that ball as Bowen didn’t have any players up in support. City’s Portuguese defender clearly wasn’t aware of the non-threat behind him, hence his ill-advised lunge.
West Ham equalise: Jarrod Bowen advances upfield and speculatively squares the ball across the face of the Man City goal. Attempting to clear the danger, Ruben Dias steers it past his Ederson and into his own net. It’s an extremely lucky break for West Ham but they’ll take it.
18 min: The champions go close to doubling their lead with the most textbook City goal imaginable. Jeremy Doku pulls the ball back to Kevin De Bruyne, who fires against the upright. Clang!
16 min: Going back to the goal – Paqueta dawdled after receiving a pass from Emerson and allowed Bernardo Silva to rob him of possession. The Spaniard played Haaland in behind and showing Max Kilman a clean pair of heels, he swept the ball past Areola.
13 min: Kevin De Bruyne exchanges passes with Grealish at a corner and tries to whip the ball inside the near post. Areola keeps it out with a strong arm. City are running amok.
13 min: Mavropanos is crowded off the ball in midfield and De Bruyne advances before playing Jack Grealish in behind. He cuts inside before shooting narrowly wide.
City lead! Bernardo Silva pounces on a mistake by Lucas Paqueta, slides the ball into the path of Erling Haaland and the Manchester City striker advances a few paces before slotting the ball past Alphonse Areola.
10 min: Having started brightly, West Ham are now firmly under the cosh and have a corner to defend. Kevin De Bruyne’s deep delivery to the far post is too near the byline for Gvardiol to do any damage.
8 min: Grealish gets involved again, chersting down a pass from deep and moving the ball inside to Kevin De Bruyne. His cross to Jeremy Doku is wayward and Dinos Mavropanos heads clear for the Hammers.
6 min: Jack Grealish plays another ball to the byline, on this occasion picking out a run from Bernardo Silva. He stands the ball up for Erling Haaland at the far post and the big Norwegian heads over. He was completely unmarked and you’d expect him to score from there.
5 min: Jack Grealish gets on the ball, cuts inside and plays an angled pass towards Kevin De Bruyne on the byline. His low cross is cleared by Max Kilman.
4 min: It’s been all West Ham in these opening minutes. Julen Lopetegui’s side have started very aggressively.
3 min: Jarrod Bowen tries a curling shot that swerves quite viciously on its way towards Ederson, who punches it clear.
1 min: It’s a bright start for West Ham, who go close courtesy of a deflected cross. Mohammed Kudus cuts in from the left and his cross loops up in the air off Rico Lewis. The ball drops for Michail Antonio but he’s prevented from getting to the ball by Josko Gvardiol, who gives him a little shove.
1 min: Following a minute’s applause for the former ENgland manager, Sven-Goran Eriksson, who passed away earlier this week, Kevin De Bruyne gets the ball rolling for Manchester City. Their players wear yellow and black striped shirts, black shorts and yellow socks. West Ham’s players wear their usual home kit.
Not long now: Led by match referee Michael Oliver and his team of match officials, the teams make the journey from the tunnel to the pitch at the London Stadium and line up for the last of the pre-match niceties.
A few moments ago, Carlos Soler, West Ham’s deadline day loan signing from Paris Saint-Germain, was introduced to the fans.
Pep Guardiola: In a short pre-match chat with Sky Sports, the Manchester City manager reveals that Savinho is not in the squad because he has a problem with his knee. He expects him to be back just after the internatinoal break.
Today’s match officials
Referee: Michael Oliver
Assistants: Stuart Burt and Dan Cook.
Fourth official: James Bell.
VAR: Darren England.
Assistant VAR: Simon Bennett.
Those teams: Aaron Wan-Bissaka makes his first Premier League start for West Ham, in one of two changes Julen Lopetegui makes from last weekend’s win at Crystal Palace. Edson Alvarez is also in, while Vladimir Coufal and Thomas Soucek drop to the bench.
Jack Grealish starts for Manchester City, with no place in the matchday squad for Savinho. Mateo Kovacic has been passed fit to start, while Rodri and Ilkay Gundogan are on the bench.
West Ham: Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Kilman, Emerson, Alvarez, Paqueta, Rodriguez, Kudus, Antonio, Bowen.
Subs: Fabianski, Casey, Coufal, Todibo, Soucek, Irving, Summerville, Guilherme, Fullkrug.
Manchester City: Ederson, Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, Kovacic, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Doku, Grealish, Haaland
Subs: Ortega Moreno, Walker, Stones, Ake, Rodrigo, Gundogan, Nunes, O’Reilly, McAtee.
Early West Ham team news
Left-back Aaron Cresswell misses out after suffering a hamstring injury in the warm-up before his side’s midweek Carabao Cup win over Bournemouth, while Edson Alvarez made his first appearance for the Hammers in that game after recovering from a hamstring injury of his own.
“He showed big energy but it’s true that he’s going to need time to adapt and recover his best fitness for sure, because he’s an important player for us, and he’s going to do that step by step,” said Julen Lopetegui of the Mexican midfielder.
Early Manchester City team news
Manchester City winger Oscar Bobb remains out with a fractured bone in his leg, while Phil Foden is likely to sit out his second game in a row through illness. “He doesn’t feel good,” said Pep Guardiola yesterday.
Rodri has yet to appear for City this season but has recovered from the hamstring injury that forced him at half-time in the Euro 2024 final, while Mateo Kovacic is due to undergo a late fitness test after picking up a knock in training.
The London Stadium is the venue for this evening’s top flight match between West Ham and the reigning champions, who have not lost any of their past 19 meetings against today’s opposition in an unbeaten run that dates back to September 2015.
What’s more, during Pep Guardiola’s reign at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester City have won 15 and drawn three of the 18 games in which they have faced West Ham.
More optimistic Hammers fans will legitimately argue it’s a run that has to end sometime but on the evidence of their opening two victories of this Premier League season, the champions will take some beating.
Kick-off in Stratford is at 5.30pm but we’ll have plenty of team news and build-up in the meantime.