Manchester City bring up 100 goals in West Ham rout
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Updated 29/04/2018 at 15:46 GMT
Premier League, London Stadium - West Ham 1 (Cresswell 42') Manchester City 4 (Sane 13', Zabaleta (og) 27', Jesus 53', Fernandinho 64')
The Celtic team celebrate winning the leauge after the Scottish Premier League match between Celtic and Rangers
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Premier League champions Manchester City brought their league goal tally to 102 for the season in style, with a 4-1 victory over West Ham.
The visitors broke the deadlock when Leroy Sane received a decisive square ball from Raheem Sterling on the edge of the box. The German curled his shot past Adrian, albeit via a cruel Patrice Evra deflection.
Then a powerful Kevin De Bruyne cross was turned towards goal by Declan Rice, which careened into Pablo Zabaleta before creeping in at the far post. Zabaleta knew little about the goal, which was his former club’s 100th of the season in the league.
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West Ham United's Argentinian defender Pablo Zabaleta (C) vies with Manchester City's German midfielder Ilkay Gundogan (R)
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The home side pulled one back when Aaron Cresswell curled a delightful free kick in at Ederson’s unguarded near post. The free kick was awarded on the edge of the box, but replays suggest that the contact on Edimilson Fernandes actually took place inside the area.
Shortly after the break, Gabriel Jesus found his way onto the scoresheet. From near the halfway line, the Brazilian passed the ball wide to the right to Sterling, who held it up long enough for the Brazilian to break into the box and stab the ball home.
City’s fourth was a near-carbon copy of the Jesus goal, with Fernandinho setting up the move and finishing from a Sterling assist. West Ham now sit three points above the relegation zone with three games remaining. The win put Manchester City 19 points clear of Manchester United, prior to their meeting with Arsenal.
TALKING POINT
Will West Ham stay up? Thanks to Southampton’s win over Bournemouth, West Ham now sit just three points above the drop with three games remaining. They will visit Leicester and welcome Manchester United and Everton to the London Stadium. It’s a precarious situation, but one would think they have shown enough quality to finish above the likes of Huddersfield, Swansea and Southampton.
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David Moyes, Manager of West Ham United reacts as Stuart Pearce, West Ham United assistant manager looks on during the Premier League match between We
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MAN OF THE MATCH
Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) City’s front line were all in resplendent form, but Sterling was a cut above. The England midfielder provided three assists in a single game for the first time in his career, and was unfortunate not to win a penalty.
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Manchester City's Spanish midfielder David Silva (L) celebrates scoring the opening goal with Manchester City's English midfielder Raheem Sterling (R) during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Swansea at the Etihad Stadi
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PLAYER RATINGS
West Ham - Adrian 6, Rice 6, Ogbonna 6, Cresswell 7, Evra 6, Noble 6, Zabaleta 5, Kouyate 6, Fernandes 6, Arnautovic 6, Lanzini 6. Subs: Joao Mario 6, Masuaku 6, Chicharito 5
Manchester City - Ederson 5, Walker 6, Laporte 7, Otamendi 7, Delph 7, Fernandinho 8, Gundogan 7, De Bruyne 7, Sane 8, Sterling 9, Jesus 8. Subs: Danilo 7, Yaya Touré 6, Nmecha 6
KEY MOMENTS
13 - GOAL! City have broken the seal! Sterling plays the ball square along the edge of the box to Sane on the right corner. The German's speculative low shot takes a deflection off of Patrice Evra as it curls past Adrian.
27 - GOAL! Oh dear, it's an own goal. Fernandinho plays a superb through ball for Sterling, which Adrian comes out of his area to clear. He doesn't manage it and in the resultant play, a De Bruyne cross is turned into the net at the back post by Rice, with a heavy deflection from Pablo Zabaleta.
39 - THE BALL IS IN THE CITY NET! Laporte plays a bad back-pass to Ederson, who takes the ball on the edge of the box and tries to beat Arnautovic. He fails and Arnautovic puts it in the back of the net, but the linesman blows up for a foul. That's controversial: there didn't seem to be anything wrong with the Austrian's challenge.
43 - GOAL! Aaron Cresswell's free kick swings in at Ederson's near post! That's poor defending from the City 'keeper, who could have set his wall up to prevent that.
53 - GOAL! Jesus plays a through ball to Sterling on the right. The England man holds it up and waits for the Brazilian to run into the box, at which point he receives the ball, takes a touch and stabs is past Adrian!
64 - GOAL! Fernandinho is back in the side and back on the scoresheet. It's a carbon copy of the Jesus goal: Fernandinho starts the move, puts it out right to Sterling, who sends it back to him in the box.
KEY STATS
Manchester City are the fastest team in Premier League history to score 100 goals.
West Ham have only won one of their 17 fixtures against teams in the top half.
Manchester City have won their last five away games in the league, having failed to win the previous three.
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