Pep Guardiola claims preseason over after 3-1 win against West Ham
West Ham faced Premier League Champions Manchester City in the third matchday, in a home fixture at the London Stadium. Pep Guardiola's side took back to back wins in their first two matches and, therefore, were the huge favourites to win this match as well. West Ham were coming after a 2-0 win in the league and a narrow 1-0 win in the Carabao Cup, thus, were aiming to keep their momentum going by taking some points from this game.
However, Manchester City took a 3-1 win and star forward Erling Haaland scored a hat trick, but the Hammers could have taken a point from this match. The defence couldn't keep away City's front three from creating big chances inside the box and conceded the three goals. In the attack, Mohammed Kudus's attempt in the second half came off the goal post and West Ham missed a few good chances in the final ten minutes of the match. West Ham manager, Julen Lopetegui, highlighted the defensive mistakes and suggested that the Hammers should bring in a quality centre back on a free transfer to provide more competition and depth to the defence.
Pep Guardiola claims preseason over after 3-1 win against West Ham
Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola gave a surprising opinion after his side's win. Guardiola suggested that the first three games for City were like a preseason and their new season starts after the international break, saying,
"The schedule that comes from now on until the end of the season will be difficult. Pre-season is over today. It’s over officially. The real season starts after the international break."
- Pep Guardiola
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This is a surprising take from Guardiola, but given the way Manchester City have been playing, this is somewhat correct as well. City comfortable took wins against Chelsea, Ipswich Town and West Ham, and once again are looking to successfully defend their Premier League title, having won the league consecutively in the last four seasons. Meanwhile, West Ham are trying to improve their performance with every match and now they need to find a winning momentum after the international break to aim for a top six finish in this league season.
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