West Ham United devastated by ‘Perfect’ moment in loss v Manchester City
Alan Smith was amazed by Erling Haaland as West Ham lost 3-1 to Manchester City on Saturday (31 August).
The Hammers had already equalised against the current Premier League champions after the striker opened the scoring, but Julen Lopetegui’s men were unable to stop him from netting twice more.
Haaland ended up securing his hat-trick at the London Stadium, and there was little Lopetegui’s men could do as the striker smashed the ball past Alphonse Areola.
Speaking live via Sky Sports on Saturday (31 August, 6:00pm), Smith said: “How much room has he got? The West Ham players should have closed his down quicker, but just look as Rico Lewis rolls it to him.
“One touch is perfect, and the second is devastating. It’s just the power [that beats Alphonse Areola]. He enjoyed this one.”
West Ham United suffer at the hands of Erling Haaland once again
The Hammers are well aware of the danger that Haaland possesses, but stopping his actions is a totally different question, one that many clubs cannot answer.
The Norwegian giant has now notched six times in five meetings with the London club, though a defeat to Man City will not be high on Lopetegui’s list of concerns this season.
The Irons did well to battle against the reigning champions, going man-for-man and keeping a good shape at the London Stadium, but very few expected them to get anything out of the game.
Pep Guardiola’s men were dominant from the very start, with Ruben Dias’s goal coming against the run of play, but the new manager can have pride in his team for their performance.
West Ham should be fighting for a top-six spot this season, especially after a summer of bringing in new, exciting talents, and a loss to Man City in their third match of the season will not change that.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers were in talks to sign a £40million Premier League midfielder on deadline day.
For more West Ham news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.