Manchester City 4-1 West Ham
West Ham delivered one of their best performances of the season yet still suffered a crushing 4-1 defeat.
And therein lies one of the biggest issues facing the club and Julen Lopetegui. Despite being the better side for much of the first half, a poor Manchester City managed to score both early and late in the opening 45 minutes, punishing the Hammers’ lack of defensive focus.
A glance at the stats reveals that West Ham registered an impressive 17 shots against Pep Guardiola’s side—no small feat. It’s worth noting that the team’s attacking display fully justified this high number of chances created.
There were certainly positives to take away. Crysencio Summerville looked lively in the first half, and Lucas Paquetá showed glimpses of his old swagger, which under other circumstances might offer a sense of optimism.
The left flank, in particular, performed admirably. However, it’s important to remember that had Jarrod Bowen and Emerson been fit, the Wan-Bissaka/Summerville partnership likely wouldn’t have featured in this game.
Tomas Souček, donning the captain’s armband, stepped up with a solid performance and even provided a left-footed assist for summer signing Niclas Füllkrug. The towering German striker was arguably West Ham’s standout player at the Etihad, offering glimpses of hope with his commanding presence and eye for goal.
Ordinarily, I’d view Füllkrug’s performance as a positive sign of progress, but the reality is stark: despite these promising elements, West Ham were still soundly beaten by a Manchester City side that was far from its best and our signing from Dortmund will soon be offski.
Looking ahead, if Julen Lopetegui can secure results against Aston Villa, Fulham, and Crystal Palace, perhaps this defeat will be seen as a turning point. For now, however, it’s hard to ignore the bitter truth: even one of West Ham’s best displays of the season couldn’t stop us from being thoroughly outclassed
