Pep Guardiola’s animated presence on the touchline during Manchester City’s win over West Ham revealed both his frustration and his standards. For much of the early second half he appeared restless and uneasy, reacting sharply to every West Ham move that broke through City’s lines. His concern prompted a triple substitution just after the hour, as he sought to restore control and calm to a performance that had briefly lost its edge.
The changes worked almost immediately. City soon extended their lead to 3-0 and moved to the top of the Premier League for the first time since the opening weekend of the season. The turnaround underlined how quickly things have shifted at the Etihad, especially when compared to this time last year, when defeats and flat performances left the champions looking short of confidence and direction.
The first half, however, was closer to the Manchester City Guardiola expects. Erling Haaland struck inside five minutes, setting the tone against a West Ham side that struggled to cope. City dominated possession and territory, moving the ball with ease, and only had a second goal from Tijjani Reijnders to show for a performance that suggested a far wider gap between the teams.
West Ham’s brief revival after the break explained Guardiola’s visible anxiety, with missed chances offering a fleeting sense of danger. In the end, City’s quality told. Haaland’s relentless scoring continues to give them a decisive advantage, and while Guardiola knows his team is still a work in progress, their league position heading into Christmas reflects how far they have come — and how dangerous they could become if progress continues.
