Manchester City and West Ham United both registered impressive 3-1 victories in the Premier League, with Pep Guardiola’s side overcoming Bournemouth at the Etihad and Nuno Espírito Santo celebrating his first win as West Ham manager against Newcastle United at the London Stadium.
At the Etihad, Manchester City returned to winning ways with a commanding display against one of the season’s surprise packages, Bournemouth. The visitors thought they had stunned the champions when Eli Kroupi found the net inside the opening minute, but the offside flag denied them an early lead. From that point, City seized control, dictating play through Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki, and it didn’t take long for the breakthrough to arrive.
In the 17th minute, Erling Haaland latched onto a clever cushioned header from Cherki to race clear of the defence and slot past Djordje Petrovic, giving City a deserved lead. Bournemouth, to their credit, responded swiftly, capitalising on a rare mistake from Gianluigi Donnarumma when the goalkeeper failed to deal with a corner, allowing Tyler Adams to fire home from close range and make it 1-1.
The parity was short-lived, as Haaland struck again before the interval. Cherki, instrumental throughout, slipped a deft through ball into the Norwegian’s path, and the prolific striker rounded Petrovic before finishing confidently from a tight angle. It was Haaland’s 98th Premier League goal — and the 24-year-old looks destined to reach the century mark before long.
City’s dominance continued after the break, and they extended their lead on the hour mark through academy graduate Nico O’Reilly. On his first league goal for the club, the young full-back combined neatly with Foden, marking the England midfielder’s 200th Premier League appearance, before driving a composed low finish into the bottom corner. Despite Bournemouth’s late push, with Tavernier and Semenyo both testing City’s backline, Pep Guardiola’s men held firm to secure a vital win that lifted them from eighth to second in the table.
If City’s victory was a show of restored control and efficiency, West Ham’s win in London was all about resilience and redemption. The Hammers ended a grim run of results at home, defeating Newcastle 3-1 to claim their first Premier League victory at the London Stadium since February and hand Nuno Espírito Santo his maiden triumph in charge.
The game began in chaotic fashion. Within the first five minutes, Jarrod Bowen rattled the post with a fierce strike, only for Newcastle to immediately counterattack and score at the other end. Bruno Guimarães fed Jacob Murphy, who finished clinically into the bottom corner to silence the home crowd. The early drama continued when Bowen was brought down in the box by Malick Thiaw, only for VAR to overturn the penalty after replays showed the defender had made contact with the ball.
Undeterred, West Ham found their rhythm and struck back through Lucas Paquetá, who equalised with a superb long-range effort that flew past Nick Pope into the bottom corner. Just before the interval, the Hammers completed the turnaround in fortuitous fashion as Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s driven cross from the right was deflected into his own net by Sven Botman, sending the home fans into raptures.
The second half was scrappy and hard-fought, with Newcastle unable to find their attacking fluency. Their 0.54 expected goals reflected a toothless display, and West Ham’s defensive structure held strong. Deep into stoppage time, substitute Tomas Soucek sealed the win, pouncing on a rebound after Bowen’s effort was parried by Pope, sliding home to make it 3-1.
The victory marked West Ham’s first under Nuno, and a potential turning point after weeks of frustration. The Hammers showed the aggression and composure that had been missing all season, while Newcastle who have now suffered consecutive away defeats — were left ruing missed chances and defensive errors.
For Manchester City, the day reinforced their return to familiar rhythm — precise, dominant, and ruthless in attack. For West Ham, it represented relief and revival, their performance underpinned by determination and renewed belief. Both sides will hope these results spark momentum as the Premier League campaign gathers pace, setting the tone for a defining run of fixtures ahead.
