Manchester City has reclaimed its top spot from Arsenal in the Premier League after beating West Ham United 3-0 on Wednesday, with Erling Haaland scoring his record-breaking 35th Premier League goal of the season.
Manchester City fell to second place after Arsenal defeated Chelsea on Tuesday. The match started stiff, with Haaland’s team failing to put the ball in the net after it repeatedly hit the bar twice, though having the major offense.
But Nathan Ake made the breakthrough five minutes after the first half with a header from a free kick.
Haaland then latched on to Jack Grealish’s through ball to beat Lukasz Fabianski and move past the 34 goals of Andy Cole and Alan Shearer with five games still to play.
Then Phil Foden came off the bench and scored the third goal via a striking shot in the 85th minute.
Man City might be closing in on its fifth title in six seasons under Pep Guardiola, having 79 points from 33 games with Arsenal on 78, having played a game more. They will move four clear if they beat Leeds United in their next match on Saturday.
For West Ham, it’s trouble in the 15th place, with only four points above the relegation zone.
City’s victory over West Ham also saw Erling Haaland break the record for the number of goals in a single season in the Premier League, surpassing the former record set by Andy Cole and Alan Shearer in the 90s.
Haaland’s goal on Wednesday came on a chip of the West Ham goalkeeper, and his strike was sandwiched between a Nathan Ake opener on a set-piece header, and a Phil Foden deflected volley which wrapped the scoring five minutes from time.
| Pos. | Team | Points | Matches Played | Goals Scored | Goal Difference | Next Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Man City | 79 | 33 | 87 | +57 | vs. LEE, May 6 |
| 2. | Arsenal | 78 | 34 | 81 | +42 | @ NEW, May 7 |
Man City vs West Ham final score
| 1H | 2H | Final | |
| Man City | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| West Ham | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Goals:
MCI — Nathan Ake (Riyad Mahrez) — 50th min.
MCI — Erling Haaland (Jack Grealish) — 71st min.
MCI — Phil Foden — 85th min.
Lineups:
Man City (4-2-3-1, right to left): Ortega (GK) — Walker, Stones, Dias, Ake (Akanji 76′) — Bernardo, Rodri — Mahrez, Alvarez (Foden 76′), Grealish — Haaland
West Ham (4-4-2, right to left): Fabianski (GK) — Coufal (Johnson 62′), Kehrer, Ogbonna, Cresswell — Emerson, Downes, Paqueta, Fornals — Bowen (Benraham 79′), Antonio (Ings 68′).