Man City Beat West Ham 2-1 To Go Second In EPL
Manchester City beat West Ham 2-1 in swirling snow on Sunday to return to second in the Premier League as Watford manager Claudio Ranieri endured a miserable return to Leicester.
Free-scoring Liverpool laid down the gauntlet by hammering Southampton 4-0 the previous day to move to within one point of leaders Chelsea, who host Manchester United in Sunday’s late kick-off.
But reigning champions City stayed in close touch with victory at home to high-flying West Ham as the Premier League increasingly resembles a three-horse race.
Riyad Mahrez had a strike ruled out for offside at the Etihad but the hosts eventually claimed the lead shortly after the half-hour mark when a Mahrez ball into the box was deflected into the path of Ilkay Gundogan, handing the German a simple finish.
Declan Rice forced a good save from Ederson as West Ham threatened late on but substitute Fernandinho made it 2-0 to City in the closing minutes.
Manuel Lanzini pulled one back deep into stoppage time but it was not enough for David Moyes’s team to avoid a second successive defeat.
“We have an incredible groundskeeper — thanks to them we could play,” Guardiola told the BBC, referring to the wintry conditions in Manchester.
“The chances we created… it could have been three or four. The players we have out… those that came here were brilliant. All of them. We cannot forget which opponent we played. They have everything.”
