Haaland Fires City Top As Newcastle And Chelsea Share The Spoils

Manchester City moved to the top of the Premier League table after cruising to a comfortable 3-0 victory over struggling West Ham United at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday evening.

Pep Guardiola’s side needed just five minutes to break the deadlock, with Erling Haaland reacting quickest after Alphonse Areola’s initial save to smash home from close range. The early goal set the tone for a one-sided first half, as City dominated possession and penned West Ham deep inside their own half.

City’s pressure eventually told again in the 38th minute when Tijjani Reijnders doubled the lead. Rayan Cherki won the ball high up the pitch before feeding Haaland, who showed great composure to pick out the onrushing Reijnders for a powerful finish beyond Areola. The assist marked Haaland’s 200th goal involvement across Europe’s top five leagues, underlining his extraordinary impact since arriving in England.

West Ham offered little resistance before the break and went into half-time without registering a single shot, while City remained firmly in control of proceedings.

The second half followed a similar pattern, with the hosts dictating the tempo and limiting West Ham’s attacking threat. Haaland put the result beyond doubt in the 69th minute, completing his brace after West Ham failed to clear their lines. The Norwegian striker now sits on 19 Premier League goals this season and could have added a third late on, only to drag his effort wide.

The convincing win sends Manchester City top of the table, at least temporarily, as they continue to apply pressure at the summit. For West Ham, the defeat leaves them languishing in the relegation zone and facing a difficult festive period.

Elsewhere in Round 17, Newcastle United were left frustrated after surrendering a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Chelsea in an intense contest at St James’ Park.

The hosts made a blistering start, with Nick Woltemade scoring twice inside the opening 20 minutes to put Newcastle firmly in control. His first came after capitalising on a rebound, before guiding home a fine cross from Anthony Gordon for his second.

Chelsea, however, emerged a different side after the break. Reece James sparked the comeback with a superb free-kick in the 49th minute, curling the ball beyond Aaron Ramsdale to reduce the deficit. The visitors continued to push forward and were rewarded in the 66th minute when Joao Pedro levelled the match with a brilliant solo effort, following a long pass from goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.

The closing stages were fiercely contested, with both sides trading chances and tempers flaring as yellow cards flew. Newcastle created the better openings and finished with the higher expected goals, but once again failed to turn dominance into victory.

The draw means Newcastle have now dropped significant points from winning positions this season, while Chelsea will take encouragement from a spirited second-half response after a flat opening period.

As the Premier League heads deeper into a demanding schedule, Manchester City’s title charge gathers momentum, while Newcastle and Chelsea continue to search for consistency in a tightly packed table.