Manchester City Kicks Off 2025 with a Convincing Win Over West Ham
MANCHESTER, England — As the new year dawns, Manchester City has once again demonstrated their knack for starting the calendar year on a high note. Their 4-1 win over West Ham United marks the 13th consecutive year they’ve won their first league game. While this might seem like business as usual, this season is anything but ordinary for Pep Guardiola’s squad.
Typically, City enters January with their sights set firmly on the Premier League title. However, this year, the focus has shifted from breaking records to salvaging what they can from a challenging campaign. The end of 2024 saw City struggling, with only two wins from 14 games. Guardiola has been candid about the team’s chances, suggesting that a fifth consecutive Premier League title might be out of reach, especially with Liverpool leading the pack. Yet, the match against West Ham offered a glimpse of City’s former dominance.
One of the standout performers was Savinho, who was instrumental in creating three of the four goals. Meanwhile, Erling Haaland continued to prove his prowess as one of the world’s top goal scorers, netting twice to surpass 20 goals in all competitions this season. Despite the victory, Guardiola, known for his high standards, was not entirely satisfied, though he acknowledged the relief of a positive result.
“We saw in many years our level and we are not at our level,” Guardiola remarked. “We won. I am so happy and it helps us. You judge the results, our performance was not good. When we play good, we know we play good.”
For City to secure any silverware this season, whether it be the UEFA Champions League or the FA Cup, their attacking prowess will be key. While West Ham was comfortably defeated at the Etihad Stadium, their manager, Julen Lopetegui, might have felt hard done by, given the early pressure his team applied.
In the opening stages, Crysencio Summerville frequently found space in midfield, distributing the ball to the right where Mohammed Kudus troubled Josko Gvardiol for the first 15 minutes. West Ham had opportunities to score before City even had a chance, but they failed to capitalize. Despite having 17 shots at Stefan Ortega‘s goal, they only managed to score once, courtesy of Niclas Füllkrug in the 71st minute, by which time City was already 4-0 up.
City’s defensive vulnerabilities have been a concern, as they have conceded more goals than any of the top six teams, making the remainder of the season potentially challenging. Lopetegui reflected on the match, saying, “It’s not easy today to explain the match. We deserved more. It’s not easy to say that when you lose 4-1. We didn’t take advantage of our clear situations. We did some positive things but we didn’t take advantage when we were better and City have very high-quality players.”
Facing talents like Savinho and Haaland is always a daunting task for opposing managers. Savinho, who scored his first City goal against Leicester City the previous weekend, seemed to thrive with the pressure lifted. His contributions against West Ham were pivotal, starting with a cross that deflected off Vladimír Coufal for the first goal. His skillful play in setting up Haaland’s first goal drew admiration from the crowd, and his second assist was a masterclass in precision and timing. Savinho left the field to a standing ovation, earning the man of the match accolade.
Guardiola praised Savinho, stating, “He’s clean in his mind. He doesn’t think nothing in his head in the past. These kind of crosses help the striker we have. He has a lot to improve. Not aggressive enough without the ball, a little bit soft in many departments. But right now has something special and brilliant that helps a lot for the team. He scores a goal, a bit lucky, but the two assists are brilliant. I’m so happy for him and he deserves to play.”
During the post-match press conference, Guardiola was quick to dismiss any notion that City is back to their old form. “I’m very pleased with the result but you cannot ask me if the old Manchester City is back,” he retorted. “If you saw the game we are not. Don’t misunderstand me. I’m so happy. If you ask me is the team playing like it has played years ago? No, absolutely not.”
While the familiar swagger may be absent, City has shown they can still find ways to win, as evidenced by their performance against West Ham. Savinho and Haaland, in particular, demonstrated that Guardiola still has the offensive firepower needed to outscore opponents, even if defensive solidity remains elusive. A positive second half of the season is within reach, and City fans have reason to hope.
- Manchester City has won their first league game of the year for 13 consecutive seasons.
- Erling Haaland has surpassed 20 goals in all competitions this season.
- City has conceded more goals than any of the top six teams.
Originally Written by: Rob Dawson
