WEST HAM UNITED 2-1 MANCHESTER CITY
Diafra Sakho heads in West Ham’s second goal against Manchester.
Behold the new West Ham United. Sam Allardyce’s revamped side outgunned Manchester City in a thrilling early afternoon showdown at Upton Park and continued their emergence as great entertainers, not to mention serious candidates for an enduring place in the top four.
Morgan Amalfitano put the home side in front before Diafra Sakho became the first player to score in all of his first six starts in the top flight. David Silva hit a sweet reply for City but West Ham combine their new style with their old steel and clung on the three points.
Back in the summer, when the sun never set on the grumbling of West Ham fans about the their team’s bleak play under Allardyce, few observers would have foreseen such scenario. But crafty recruitment has helped Allardyce fulfil his promise to deliver a more flamboyant style and the hosts went into this game on the back of two consecutive wins and in free-scoring form.
There was little expectation that City would hit the Hammers as hard as they did last season, when they put 14 goals past them in four matches. Indeed, even before the match West Ham’s joint chairman David Sullivan, who is seldom slow to apply public pressure on the manager when miffed, struck a triumphant tone in the programme, responding to Sir Alex Ferguson’s recent suggestion that the fabled “West Ham way” seems to be something of an east London myth by declaring: “What we are witnessing right now is exactly that.
We are playing attacking football with everybody giving 100% and we are getting results at the same time.”
Allardyce slightly modified his formation for the visit of the champions, re-deploying Sakho on the right in a bid to bolster midfield.
Still West Ham retained offensive ambitions and Enner Valencia fired off a shot within 15 seconds of the start, albeit one that was high and wide. It took City one minute to retort, the irrepressible Sergio Agüero letting fly with a 25-yard shot that Adrián pushed behind for a corner. David Silva then went close with a free-kick from similar range.
Two minutes later Silva used a free-kick on the right to cross to Vincent Kompany, who nodded over from eight yards. Agüero and Edin Dzeko had further shots just off target as City enjoyed far the better of the early exchanges.
But West Ham refused to be cowed. Joe Hart had to make an urgent block from Valencia after Sakho flicked on a long free-kick to the Senegalese. Posing problems from set pieces is no novelty for an Allardyce team but West Ham soon served up a delicious example of the incisive new style that they have developed this season.
In the 21st minute Alex Song split the City defence with an inspired low pass into the path of Valencia, who sprinted past Gaël Clichy and pulled the ball back for Amalfitano, who adjusted his feet quickly before slotting into the net from close range.
West Ham came close to doubling their lead in the 28th minute when Stewart Downing headed inches over the bar following another burst down the right, this time by Sakho.
With the hosts infused with fresh vibrancy, and the whole midfield dancing to Song’s tune, City became disjointed, just as they had done when throwing away a two-goal lead against CSKA Moscow in midweek.
Jesús Navas was barely visible and Yaya Touré’s efforts to influence the game were summed up by a free-kick on the edge of the West Ham area in the 38th minute, which the Ivorian dabbed into the wall.
Valencia should have given West Ham a bigger half-time lead but failed to connect properly with a shot from eight yards just before the break. Moments later an inventive set-piece move presented Allardyce’s side with another chance but James Collins could not apply a decisive touch when the ball was fizzed across goal.
City came back to life in the dying seconds of the half and almost nicked an equaliser, only for Adrián to make a fine save from Agüero from close range.
Manuel Pellegrini had to use the break to stimulate improvement from his team. The fact that City had won only one of the past 35 Premier League games in which they had been trailing at half-time suggested this was not a forte.
The Chilean decided not to make any personnel changes. The course of the game was not immediately altered either, as West Ham nearly scored with a flourish again in the 53rd minute, Downing flashing a shot just wide after a Song teed him up with a dinky rabona.
Pellegrini finally made a substitution in 59th minute, with Stevan Jovetic replacing Dzeko. Agüero nearly brought the visitors level moments later, but after a typical scurry into the penalty area the Argentinian was foiled, first by another smart save from Adrián, then by a block from Collins.
As City slipped into a menacing groove and Touré awoke, Agüero went even closer, smashing the ball against the cross bar from six yards before seeing his shot on the rebound saved by Adrián.
West Ham were having to demonstrate their defensive qualities, though still put City in trouble on the counterattack. Kompany was fortunate to avoid a sending off after twice conceding free-kicks when already on a yellow card.
The match was developing into a mini-classic. A sweeping move by the home team in the 71st minute could have culminated in a splendid goal but Sakho’s shot just cleared the bar. That was followed by another intricate City move, which Touré tried to crown with a goal but his curling shot struck the crossbar. Ah, that fine margin between success and failure.
West Ham found themselves on the right side in the 75th minute, when Aaron Cresswell raced down the left and crossed for Sakho, whose header was clawed out by Hart – but from a couple of inches behind the line.
West Ham had barely finished celebrating that when David Silva cut their lead back to one goal, skittering into the box before placing a lovely curler into the bottom corner. Pellegrini thrust on James Milner and Aleksandar Kolarov as he sought to salvage at least a point, but West Ham, for whom Adrián and James Collins were especially defiant at the back, did not buckle.
