Pep’s Dok & goal star

GENIUS JEREMY HAS CITY BOSS BACK WITH A BANG

RETURNING Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola declared “the real season starts now” ahead of this clash. And if this merciless 3-1 victory at West Ham was a sign of things to come, his treble-winning City side will take some stopping. The gutsy triumph was the perfect medicine for the Spanish tactician, who has missed the past two City matches following a recent back operation. The champions were forced to stomach a first-half sucker punch when James Ward-prowse headed home the opener. But still City kept marching forward before delivering a savage knockout finish. The brutal reality is this convincing fightback never really looked in doubt and there was a feeling of inevitability about the manner of City’s victory despite the Hammers’ creditable spirit. The exceptional Jeremy Doku levelled after the break before Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland helped maintain the Blues’ 100 per cent record. City, who have won their opening three away fixtures for the first time since 2017, found solutions even when their Norwegian talisman couldn’t buy a goal – but in typical Haaland fashion he still had the final say. Alphonse Areola was forced into action in the opening minutes as the visitors peppered the Frenchman’s goal. First Rodri saw a low drive stopped before his rebound was blocked by Nayef Aguerd. Tomas Soucek then headed Haaland’s goal-bound effort off the line before Ruben Dias’ header was tipped over the bar during a frantic episode of penalty-box ping pong. Just moments later, Haaland spurned a glorious chance wide following Josko Gvardiol’s low cross to the back post. West Ham’s solidity and defensive organisation was then rewarded in the 36th minute when Ward-prowse headed Vladimir Coufal’s pinpoint cross beyond Ederson to send the By Ryan Taylor AT THE LONDON STADIUM home crowd berserk. Manuel Akanji was caught under the flight of the ball as West Ham’s inspired £30million summer signing made it two goals and three assists in four top-flight appearances following his switch from Southampton. Yet despite the thunderous atmosphere inside the London Stadium, City remained a threat. New £55.4m arrival Doku sparkled, displaying remarkable close control and an electric turn of pace to humiliate helpless marker Coufal. Haaland’s second goal-bound effort was once again cleared off the line, this time by Aguerd, right on half-time. However, it was a different story less than a minute after the interval when the Doku left Coufal for dead before rolling the ball into the far corner. City came close to adding a second through Julian Alvarez,

who struck the post from a freekick, before Haaland was again denied by Areola. Silva finally put City ahead when he dinked the ball over the West Ham goalkeeper. Haaland then made sure of the points when he slammed home a third in front of the travelling faithful.