CITYA BIT OF

A snow storm and West Ham can’t stop Pep’s men stretching winning run to lift their title bid

MANCHESTER CITY overcame a snow storm to extend their winning run and remain on course in their title defence.

It was far from vintage City but Pep Guardiola’s side dug deep to beat the elements and seal a gritty win, courtesy of goals from Ilkay Gundogan and substitute Fernandinho.

If Guardiola’s players deserved credit for digging out the victory, so too did the ground staff at the Etihad Stadium, for clearing snow from the pitch at half-time to ensure the game could continue.

Guardiola was without attacking trio Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden and £100million record signing Jack Grealish for the third successive game, but still had enough quality to edge past West Ham.

The Hammers ended City’s four-year domination of the EFL Cup last month, knocking out

Guardiola’s side on penalties after a goalless draw at the London Stadium. That defeat, combined with West Ham’s impressive form this season, which included victory over Liverpool, ensured City would be in for a tough test from David Moyes’ side – and so it proved.

The first chance fell to Kyle Walker, the City defender unleashing a low effort from long range after six minutes that flew just wide of Lukasz Fabianski’s right-hand post.

City kept pushing with Aymeric Laporte clipping a post with a glancing header, while Riyad Mahrez swept the ball into the net with an assured finish, only to see it ruled out for offside.

Raheem Sterling, who had scored in his three previous appearances for City, produced a curling angled effort which just missed the target, as the Blues continued to test the visitors.

At the other end, Laporte was struggling to contain Michail Antonio, and was booked for hauling the West Ham striker down, just outside the box.

The resulting free-kick from Aaron Creswell was deflected behind for a corner.

City took the lead in the 34th minute, Gundogan reacting the quickest to turn in the ball after Mahrez’s cross was deflected into his path off Creswell.

The goal owed much to the vision and execution of Joao Cancelo, who picked out Mahrez with an exquisite lofted ball, which created the opening from which Gundogan was able to score.

Mahrez hit a post, after a goalbound effort from Cancelo was palmed away by Fabianski, although he should have squared the ball to his waiting teammates, instead of going for glory himself. The snow eased at kickoff, but fell heavily towards the latter stages of the first half, half

time extended by five minutes to allow the pitch to be cleared by the ground staff.

City should have made it 2-0 10 minutes after the restart, Sterling playing the ball into the path of Gabriel Jesus, who took a touch before the ball was cleared by Cresswell, who clattered into a post.

Declan Rice tested Ederson with a rasping effort from 25 yards, the City goalkeeper punching the ball away, while his opposite number Fabianski was out quickly at the other end to deny Gundogan.

Substitute Fernandinho made sure of the win in the 90th minute, just moments after coming on, steering the ball past Fabianski from the edge of the box after Jesus had cut it back for him.

Manuel Lanzini lashed a looping effort over Ederson and into the net via a post in the 94th minute, but there was not enough added time for the Hammers to plunder an equaliser.