Another pasting from City

West Ham 0 Man City 4

All the Overground trains are terminating at Hackney Wick, so as I’m supposed to be meeting daughter Lola at Stratford it’s onto the replacement bus service, which will surely only be a five-minute hop. But the bus turns out to be moving at less than walking pace and the driver won’t let anyone off. It’s a Kafka-esque stand-off as we move at glacial speed through the gridlocked dystopian roads of the Olympic Park. After some 35 minutes I arrive at the Best Café, just in time to miss my lunch and find Nigel, CQ and Matt discussing the Standard’s must-see play An Honourable Man.

Pellegrini has picked an odd team. He's playing Masuaku instead of Cresswell when we know that Arthur struggles defensively, and he has failed to bring Noble back into the midfield. Diangana has done well, but you do think it might be a bit much for the kid up against City.

The crowd noise is impressive for the first 20 minutes, but City very effectively dampen it by scoring twice. Masuaku lets Sterling get in a cross too easily and after a deflection from Arthur’s boot, Silva gets in front of Balbuena to flick it home. It’s two as Sane jinks past Zabaleta and crosses for Sterling to tap home. Again he’s reacted quicker than Masuaku. It seems City are going to score every ten minutes.

ANTONIO WOE

At least the Hammers make a spirited response. Antonio finds Arnautovic, whose goalbound effort is smothered by a combination of Ederson and a defender. Then Antonio gets behind the City defence only to fire straight at the keeper.

I tell Matt that we’re going to win 3-2. He replies that if we score three he will ride home on his unicorn. It’s game after on 34 minutes as City score a brilliant third. Fernandinho chips over our defence for Sterling to play it in first time to Sane. The German winger puts Balbuena and Fabianski on their backsides with a brilliant shimmy and calmly strokes home. We’re left wondering if playing for Paraguay has left the General jetlagged, as he’s looked poor today. “We’re not really here!” sing the City fans. And nor is our defence.

The thought occurs that maybe Moyes had a better idea of how to set up against City. Attacking them has proved pretty suicidal and Antonio and Diangana are not going to match Sane and Sterling.

CAN THEY PLAY US EVERY WEEK? 

The hapless Masuaku is hooked at half-time for Creswell. Only a double save from Fabianski prevents a fourth at the start of the second half. But the Irons show some character to get some attacks going and the crowd respond with rhythmic clapping and chants of, “West Ham’s claret and blue army”. Balbuena heads a corner just wide of the post. Arnautovic puts over a free header from a fine Antonio cross. And crucially, when Hernandez’ fine through ball releases Antonio, the West Ham man fires against the outside of the post.

The patience of the Vicar’s Son is tested by the performance of late sub Perez as he gives the ball away with seemingly every touch. “Perez!! What is the point?” declares the ecclesiastical boo boy.

Nigel and CQ retreat five minutes before then end, as Nigel has to go to Brussels to negotiate the Brexit deal and sign a couple of Belgian defenders. Arnie has to leave early too, nursing his sore knee.

“The second half hasn’t been too bad, I thought it was going to be a lot worse,” muses Scott in added time, just as Sane controls a cross to half-volley home for City’s fourth.

The only winner has been Michael, who has missed the game for theatrical duty at the White Bear. I retreat with Lola to Stratford International, which has no queue and gets us to Kings Cross in five minutes. 

So that’s 17 goals conceded at home to City in four games since we moved to the London Stadium. City look much better than anyone else in the division and we deserved a consolation at least, but even so you can’t defend like WHU did today.  The next eight games are crucial, as they are all against lower teams and should shape our season.

PLAYER RATINGS: Fabianski 6; Zabaleta 5, Balbuena 4, Diop 5, Masuaku 3 (Cresswell 5); Obiang 4, Rice 6, Anderson 5 (Perez 4); Diangana 4 (Hernandez 5), Arnautovic 5, Antonio 5.