A lovely summers day saw the Champions elect take on the Irons in the last game of the season…the 53rd game in our case.
City started with Doku on the left, Foden in central midfield and Bernardo Silva on the right. West Ham’s formation was a typically cautious 5-3-1-1 with Kudus behind Antonio and Paqueta in central midfield.
Not that it made any difference whatsoever, as with barely a minute on the clock, Bernardo Silva with a square pass 20 yards from goal. Foden took it beautifully across his body, losing Ward-Prowse in the process, and arrowed a rising drive into the far corner. Areola had no chance.
Yet another dreadful start for the Irons
After 20 minutes or so West Ham had hardly had a touch and, considering they had conceded five goals in each of their previous two away Premier League matches, it was starting to look like an early damage limitation job.
Not that was a success either.
City then sliced through West Ham again. Haaland, out wide left to Doku, a low cross that eluded all three West Ham centre-backs ( where have we seen that before?) and Foden finished left-footed past Areola from 14 yards.
Then much against the run of play, we had our first shot of the day when Kudus cut inside from the right, then skipped back outside Gvardiol and forced a good shot across goal with his right foot. Ortega dived to his right to paw it away.
Just as heads were beginning to drop (again) a magnificent overhead kick from Kudus put us back in the game and we were back in it.
There was four minutes of added time before the whistle ended the half with the Irons playing with far more confidence.