West Ham Shock Manchester City and Show Title Race Won't Be Straightforward

Given Manchester City went into this match with a 100 per cent record in the Premier League and a starting XI costing in excess of £300 million—the most expensive in English football’s long history—it is perhaps the most sensational result of the season so far.

West Ham United continued their run of wins away from home with a 2-1 win at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday despite a second-half onslaught from the home side reminiscent of the 2012 win over Queens Park Rangers that saw them secure their first league title in 44 years.

Slaven Bilic’s players were camped inside their own half, defending for their lives, with a series of match-winning blocks, tackles, interceptions and saves ensuring they headed back to east London with a vital win, bringing to an end City’s 11-match winning run in the league.

The statistics go some way toward telling the story of a strange match. City had 72 per cent of the possession. They managed 27 shots to West Ham’s six. In the second period, the ball rarely left the West Ham half. It was a remarkable spectacle, with West Ham’s determination to see out the match worthy of high praise.

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They found themselves ahead after six minutes when the on-loan Victor Moses was given too much room as he advanced toward the City area before unleashing an unstoppable effort low to the left of Joe Hart.

Eliaquim Mangala, who came off at half time with a muscle injury, will be disappointed he didn’t put Moses under more pressure, but the quality of the strike made it difficult to pinpoint blame in any direction. It was the first goal City had conceded in the Premier League this season, and after their defeat to Juventus in the Champions League on Tuesday, doubts, for the first time since the new campaign kicked off, began to creep into their play.

Their game plan appeared to have been thrown into chaos by David Silva’s withdrawal from the starting line up minutes before kick-off. The Spaniard has been City’s best player this season, a calming presence as well as the creative hub of the team. Given the depth of quality in City’s squad, though, it would be a weak excuse, and one Manuel Pellegrini wasn’t prepared to pursue in his post-match press conference.

City soon kicked into gear, with Jesus Navas and Kevin De Bruyne, who was making his first start for City since his move from Wolfsburg, creating chances for Sergio Aguero. The Argentinian showed uncharacteristic profligacy, spurning his chances and offering further evidence of his lack of match sharpness. With the exception of a brilliant 30-minute spell in the win over Chelsea, Aguero has yet to show anywhere near his best form this season. City need him back to his best.

If the first goal was down to a moment of brilliance from a West Ham forward, their second perhaps owed more to City’s poor defending from a set piece.

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Whether a corner should've been given remains hugely questionable given television replays appear to suggest Aleksandar Kolarov hooked the ball clear before it had crossed the line, but City’s defending from that point on was poor.

Kolarov was beaten in the air by a more determined Winston Reid, the ball bounced off Fernandinho, who could have cleared, and Diafra Sakho, who had escaped his marker, nipped in to tap home—2-0 after 30 minutes and the away fans were once again in a state of shock and awe. The defending was comical and will surely have dismayed Pellegrini.

De Bruyne’s wonderful goal from outside the area after a deft layoff from Aguero just before half-time suggested City would go on and win the game, continuing their ruthless start to the new campaign, but West Ham’s dogged second-half resistance upset their immaculate record.

After a tepid first-half display, Yaya Toure became unplayable, with the Hammers struggling to contain his power, pace and dribbling ability. But it was De Bruyne who truly stole the show as City poured forward with unprecedented force.

The Belgian, the club’s record signing, could hardly have impressed more. His touch is a thing of beauty, effortless and natural, and the weight of his passes was perfect. One can only imagine the impact he will have once he understands more clearly the way his team-mates operate.

For De Bruyne to end up on the losing side was something of a travesty. He was superb from start to finish, a player with a wonderful ability to choose the right option when in possession. He does the simple things with breathtaking efficiency and brings a new dimension to Pellegrini’s attack.

City started the day hoping to extend their lead over least season’s champions, Chelsea, to 14 points. It now stands at eight, still a sizeable gap but one that can be eradicated swiftly. The adage that there are no easy opponents in the Premier League feels particularly pertinent in light of this result.

It’s a sharp reminder for anyone who felt the title was over before it began that it’s likely to be much tighter than they envisaged. City’s flawless first five games left their floundering rivals trailing, but with 96 points left to play for, there’ll be plenty of afternoons like this one that upset people’s expectations.

“Yes it was frustrating,” said a clearly angry Pellegrini afterward. “There were three important points here. We thought before we played against a difficult team.

“They won their two games away before. We conceded two easy goals and that maybe was one of the reasons why we didn’t win.

“I don’t want to have the excuse of David Silva why we didn’t win. David has a kick in his calf and he tried in the warm up but he felt his muscle was stiff so he didn’t play.

“We always said we were focused on the next game. We never believe that because we won five games we were the champions of the Premier League.”

For West Ham, their impressive start to the season continues. A 2-0 win away at Arsenal and a comprehensive 3-0 victory against Liverpool at Anfield saw them showered with praise. This one, though, against a side in such wonderful form, surely trumps them.

“I am so proud of everything [and] everyone that is connected with our great club: the fans, the people who are working, my staff and the board but especially the players,” said Bilic. “They are doing brilliant. This game was different from Emirates and Anfield. This team is the best is the league.”

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ADRIAN: "It is an excellent performance from everybody and we need to enjoy the moment." http://t.co/sDywM0uRnV pic.twitter.com/cI7QtVVBap

— West Ham United FC (@whufc_official) September 20, 2015"

They’re a side set up to play away from home. They have pace in abundance in Sakho and Moses, and in Mark Noble and Dimitri Payet, they have talented footballers who can pick a pass. Their nine points from their first three tough away games is certainly no fluke.

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Pellegrini frustrated by the manner of City's defeat to @whufc_official. Read: http://t.co/DYfkcowPVP #cityvwestham pic.twitter.com/zpRgiKYTgk

— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) September 19, 2015"

City will seldom have a more frustrating afternoon, but the quality of their football in the second half and the desire their players showed to attack will surely have provided Pellegrini with some cheer.

And as for his record signing, he will make his price tag appear cheap if he continues in the same way he has started.

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Today's attendance is 53,545 which includes 1,251 travelling West Ham supporters. Thanks for the support! #cityvwestham #mcfc

— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) September 19, 2015"

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2015/16 season. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter: @RobPollard.