Erling Haaland scores hat-trick as Manchester City thrash West Ham

English Premier League

19th August 2023

Manchester City began their Premier League title defense with a 4-0 demolition of West Ham United at the London Stadium on Sunday.

Erling Haaland, the Norwegian striker who joined City from Borussia Dortmund in the summer, was the star of the show, scoring a hat-trick.

The 22-year-old opened the scoring in the 36th minute with a close-range finish, before doubling City's lead just before half-time with a header.

Haaland completed his hat-trick in the 65th minute, tapping in from close range after a cross from Kevin De Bruyne.

Phil Foden added a fourth for City in the 75th minute, curling a shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the area.

The win takes City top of the Premier League table, while West Ham are bottom after losing their opening two games of the season.

Key stats

• Haaland has now scored 6 goals in his first 4 Premier League games.
• Manchester City have won their last 5 Premier League games.
• West Ham have lost their last 3 Premier League games.

Reaction

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was delighted with his team's performance.

"We played really well today," he said. "We were patient and we created a lot of chances. Erling Haaland was excellent and he's going to be a great player for us."

West Ham manager David Moyes was disappointed with his team's performance.

"We didn't play well enough today," he said. "We gave away some cheap goals and we didn't create enough chances. We need to improve quickly."

Conclusion

Manchester City are the early favorites to win the Premier League title again this season. They have a world-class squad and they are playing with great confidence.

West Ham, on the other hand, need to improve quickly if they want to avoid a relegation battle this season.