Erling Haaland continued his blistering form with another hat-trick, leading Manchester City to a decisive victory over West Ham United at London Stadium.
The Norwegian striker’s clinical performance ensured the defending champions maintained their perfect start to the season.
Haaland opened the scoring in the 10th minute, latching onto a precise pass from Bernardo Silva and calmly sliding the ball into the net. However, West Ham quickly responded when Ruben Dias inadvertently turned Jarrod Bowen’s cross into his own net, leveling the score.
City regained control when Haaland struck again midway through the first half, unleashing a powerful shot into the top corner, leaving West Ham’s goalkeeper with no chance.
The Hammers, who had struggled to assert themselves in the game, found renewed energy in the second half and nearly equalized when Mohammed Kudus hit the woodwork following a swift counter-attack.
Despite a period of pressure from West Ham, they failed to seriously challenge City’s goalkeeper, Ederson. Haaland, who had been relatively quiet during the second half, sealed the win by beating the offside trap late in the game to complete his hat-trick and secure all three points for City.
The victory propels Pep Guardiola’s team to the top of the Premier League table, with a perfect record after three games. Meanwhile, West Ham find themselves in 14th place, having collected just three points from their opening fixtures.