Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola described his team’s 4-1 victory over West Ham on Saturday as a “release” but admitted the defending Premier League champions are yet to rediscover their full form.
City entered the match having won just once in 13 games before last weekend’s 2-0 triumph over Leicester, which effectively ended their hopes of a fifth consecutive league title. Against West Ham, Vladimir Coufal’s own goal opened the scoring, followed by two strikes from Erling Haaland and a late effort from Phil Foden. Niclas Füllkrug’s consolation for the visitors did little to dampen the home side’s much-needed emphatic victory.
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Despite the win, Guardiola tempered expectations, saying, “No. I’m happier to win, but we are still not like we were for different reasons. The result will help. We struggle, but it is a release. We were lucky with the first goal—they were better in the opening minutes and could have gone 0-1 or 0-2. The second goal helped us, it was an incredible goal, but we are still not like we were.”
Savinho shone for City, playing a pivotal role in the victory. The Brazilian winger forced Coufal’s own goal with a dangerous cross and provided assists for both of Haaland’s goals, showcasing his growing importance to the team.
“He was brilliant. He is one of the few that is fresh,” said Guardiola. “The work ethic was unbelievable, but we still lack composure. We accelerate everything. The last two victories are good, and we’ve avoided defeat in three, but I’d say a month-and-a-half of poor form compared with eight years isn’t bad.”
City’s win moved them to sixth place in the Premier League, just two points behind the top four. While Guardiola acknowledges the team is far from its best, the result offers hope that they can regain momentum in the weeks ahead.
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