Manchester City 1
De Bruyne 45’
West Ham United 2
Moses 6’, Sakho 31’
Typical Manchester City. Typical West Ham United. Not so much the modern City as their pratfall-prone predecessors. And not the Hammers of old, but a side forging a very different identity as terrific travellers.
City followers of a certain vintage may have felt there was something sadly predictable about this. They gave first starts to flagship signings. Kevin de Bruyne and Nicolas Otamendi are costlier and higher-calibre recruits than those in the past, but, as in bygone days, a supposed celebration brought frustration instead.
That came courtesy of Slaven Bilic’s Hammers. A club with a history of struggling on the road has been reinvented. Victory at the Etihad Stadium followed triumphs at Arsenal and Liverpool. They have an improbable treble, secured in extraordinary fashion. West Ham weathered a second-half bombardment, aided by the outstanding goalkeeping of Adrian and the resilience of his defence. Their counter-attacking thrust has enabled them to punch their way up to second place.
They have a 100 per cent record on the road. City’s perfect start is no more. Despite their expenditure, their brilliant beginning came largely as a result of those who were already at the club. De Bruyne and Otamendi, bought to bolster league leaders, offered evidence of individual ability, but proof that conspicuous consumption is no guarantee of success.
City made history by fielding the first £300 million starting 11 in the Premier League. It would have been still more expensive had David Silva not been injured in the warm-up. He was replaced by Jesus Navas, whose afternoon of dismal crossing yielded a solitary benefit: it allowed De Bruyne to operate as a No 10.
The Belgian’s capacity to pick the right pass, which is harder than it sounds, was an indication he possesses sound judgment, a rarer quality than it should be. Importantly, he illustrated how productive he can be. He recorded 16 goals and 27 assists for Wolfsburg last season.
He opened his City account with a crisp drive from 20 yards. “It doesn’t matter if he scores,” said Manuel Pellegrini, his frustration at the result meaning he identified few positives even in the excellence of his £54 million recruit. The other newcomer, the forceful Otamendi, suggested he will become a crowd favourite.
The problem was not what City gained by recruiting him but what they lost when Vincent Kompany suffered a calf injury against Juventus. Shorn of the skipper, a watertight defence developed holes. They had gone 572 minutes of Premier League football without conceding, but Joe Hart was beaten twice within 25 minutes.
If City’s spending is one facet of modern football, West Ham’s recruitment is another. Victor Moses is on loan at a different club every season, whether Liverpool or Stoke or now West Ham. The permanent short-termism may enable him to make an instant impact. The borrowed Chelsea player struck the bar on his debut against Newcastle and found the net on his second start. He brings pace on the break. West Ham have plenty.
With five summer signings starting, West Ham have displayed a capacity to blend old and new together. Diafra Sakho was last season’s prime bargain. His predatory sense was apparent as he poked them into a 2-0 lead. The true goalscorers never object to such scrappy strikes. The finest of goalkeepers do not complain about being busy. Adrian was. He was also brilliant.
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