Key events
Half-time email: “That foul by Cancelo on Bowen shows clearly the inconsistency in the refereeing,” says Keith Sanderson. “Tierney (and VAR) saw nothing wrong with such a challenge in the earlier game. We’re only in week 1, have we really got to suffer this nonsense for the rest of the season? What will happen? Nothing. VAR should be taken out of the hands of the PGMOL and there should be a trial with a panel of, say, three ex-pros.”
I don’t know: we can expect consistency in the same game, but the way the laws are drafted, we can’t expect it across different ones because there’s room for differing interpretations – as it goes, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I’d also not be surprised to learn that the video ref at Old Trafford thought Martínez fouled Welbeck, but decided he didn’t have the scope to recommend the ref take another look. Ultimately, I doubt many fell in love with the game because of it’s foolproof decision-making process, and I’d absolutely not rely on three ex-pros to do a better job then the professional officials we have.
Half-time reading:
Half-time: West Ham United 0-1 Manchester City
Both sides can play much better than this, but City’s bottom level is disgustingly high and that’s why they’re in front.
45+3 min A poor free-kick is headed clear by the nearest man to it.
45+2 min But have a look! West Ham move the ball down the right and a rash challenge from Cancelo on Bowen earns the former a caution and allows the latter to stick a ball into the box…
45 min There’ll be four added minutes.
45 min More City possession. This is excellent stuff from them, effectively excluding West Ham from the game in the knowledge that at some point they’ll create a goal. That said, though, they can play much better than this; it’ll take something very significant to prevent them from winning a third title on the spin.
44 min Marginally better again from West Ham, Fornals progressing down the left before crossing for City to clear.
43 min Something from West Ham, Lanzini sliding Bowen down the right, but just as it looks like he’s got some space, Ake comes over to dispossess, winning the goalkick too.
41 min This dayglo City kit is not unlike the one they wore when
Trevor from Eastenders
40 min We’ve barely seen Rice, Soucek, Bowen or Fornals so far. West Ham have defended the box reasonably well, but that’s about all they’ve done.
39 min “That sound you hear is five million people logging into their fantasy football account to trade out Harry Kane for Haaland,” reckons JR.
I don’t know – both will score loads of points, though I guess Kane gives you assists as well as goals.
39 min …which Gundogan slaps into the wall.
38 min City win a free-kick just outside the box, 25 yards out and just right of centre…
37 min On the penalty, City did really well to manufacture it – there’s not much space behind the West Ham centre-backs, so the run, change of pace and weight of pass had to be near-perfect, and they were.
GOAL! West Ham United 0-1 Manchester City (Haaland pen 36)
Haaland opens body, punches a lot left-footer to wards bottom left, and Areola dives in the opposite direction.
PENALTY MAN CITY!
We’re going to see this a lot. Gundogan slips a reverse-pass down the side, Haaland attacks the space, nicks it away from Areola, and wears the inevitable trip, hands through legs.
34 min Cancelo gets the ball in midfield and the 7 on his back suddenly looks more normal. I guess it makes more sense than 10 Gallas and 9 Boulharouz, but only marginally.
32 min Further to the Moyes point, you look at how Man United defended against Brighton, versus how West Ham are defending here, and the difference is astounding – especially in terms of focus and toughness.
32 min Antonio returns; he’s touch the ball six times in the first 30 minutes.
30 min Antonio is down after jumping for a header and landing awkwardly,, so the physio comes on.
29 min Grealish is looking decent here, again carrying the ball downfield before, this time, finding Cancelo, whose cross is cleared.
28 min Fabianski can’t continue, dragging himself off to be replaced by Alphonse Areola.
27 min More like it from City, Grealish drifting infield and finding Haaland, who touches off beautifully around the corner for Gundogan. He his the line and cuts back for De Bruyne, who slides into the net, but Haaland was fractionally offside from the initial pass.
26 min City are still having all of the ball, and given the temperature – it’s 32 degrees out there – West Ham might need all of their subs.
24 min “I see your point about Moyes and his sweet spot – as an Evertonian, I see it all too well,” returns Eric Peterson. “Ironically, though, I think it might have been a more relevant point in 2012 than in the present day. If we consider a table of ‘biggish clubs who need some organisation and heart’, right now, isn’t Manchester United in first position by a country mile? (Well, there’s Everton, isn’t there?)“
Sure, Moyes has stuff to offer. But we’ve not seen anything that suggests he’s the right bloke for so high-profile a job, nor that he’s got the skills and smarts to lead a team trying to be the best around.
22 min It’s time for drinks. West Ham will chzoz theirs in good heart, though Fabianski is limping.
20 min The first time I saw Foden play, for England at age-group level, I knew he was special, which isn’t me bragging about my eye for talent, I assure to – he just looked as natural on the ball then as he does now. But he does need a regular position – perhaps wide right will be it – and here he is now, swirling a cross towards the near post, to which Haaland can’t quite impart a flick.
19 min Foden drives a luscious switch out to Grealish, but his attempted cross, curled towards the back post, picks out Zouma, who heads clear.
18 min Fabianski plucks Foden’s corner out of the air. West Ham have started well.
17 min We’ve seen almost nothing of West Ham in attack, but we’ve not seen loads of City either.But here comes Foden, pulling down a crossfield pass on his big toe and feeding Cancelo, whose cross is deflected behind for a corner.
16 min West Ham shut down space so well. Their defensive spacing and discipline are both excellent.
Discussion about this post