EPL: Haaland’s brace propels Man City to dominant 4-1 win over West Ham

Erling Haaland ended his three-month Premier League scoring drought in emphatic fashion, netting twice as Manchester City dismantled West Ham United in a commanding 4-1 victory, equaling their largest win of the season.  

Haaland’s first goal came late in the first half, a well-placed header, before he added a second with a composed chip over West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, following an incisive through ball from Savinho.

The Brazilian winger was instrumental throughout, delivering the left-wing cross that forced Vladimir Coufal into an own goal for City’s opener just 10 minutes in.

Phil Foden rounded off the scoring for the hosts, calmly slotting in his second league goal of the season after a selfless assist from Kevin De Bruyne, who marked his 400th Manchester City appearance with a typically unassuming performance.

West Ham briefly showed signs of resistance as Niclas Fullkrug converted Tomas Soucek’s cross to reduce the deficit.

However, Crysencio Summerville squandered their best chance to narrow the gap further, missing an open goal.

This victory marked City’s first back-to-back league wins since October, signaling a potential revival for Pep Guardiola’s side after a difficult spell that saw the usually confident manager publicly question his own methods.

For West Ham, the pressure on manager Julen Lopetegui continues to mount.

Despite avoiding a repeat of the heavy loss to Liverpool in their previous outing, this result highlighted the team’s struggles.

With former manager David Moyes watching from the stands, speculation grows about whether Lopetegui’s tenure could soon come to an end, as the club’s progress under his leadership remains underwhelming.

City’s commanding performance reaffirms their status as title contenders, while West Ham’s struggles deepen in what has been a challenging season for the Hammers.