The Blues
welcomed the in-form Hammers to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday aware that they
had their work cut out against top four-chasing rivals and with a few weary
legs to factor in following midweek Champions League action.
City have,
however, been sweeping aside all before them over recent weeks and once again
showed the credentials of title winners as they found a way of edging past
David Moyes’ plucky visitors.
What has
been said?
Guardiola
told BT Sport after seeing a stunning sequence of results extended by his side:
“After 45 minutes today we realise we are not going to paint anything
beautiful.
“Second
half we were much better than the first half. When you play a lot of games, in
the league and then the Champions League, this is normal.
“We were
lucky to get all three points. The mathematics matter at the end of the
season.”
What
happened against West Ham?
City had
all-time leading goalscorer Sergio Aguero back in their starting XI against the
Hammers, but inspiration came from surprising sources.
Centre-half
duo Ruben Dias and John Stones got the Blues’ goals, with the impressive
standards they have been setting of late maintained in another solid collective
effort.
Dias broke
the deadlock at the Etihad after half-an-hour, as he headed home a pinpoint
cross from Kevin De Bruyne.
Michail
Antonio, however, restored parity before the interval as he bundled in from
close range.
City needed
a response after the interval, in a bid to pull.