West Ham United vs Manchester City Live-blog
Hello, my name is Finlay and welcome to my live blog for tonight’s Carabao Cup contest between West Ham United and Manchester City. Stay with me to keep up with the latest action for what could be a classic. Sub-edited by Matt Billett.
Match Facts
West Ham will be looking to continue a great start to their campaign, losing just two of their thirteen fixtures in all competitions this season, however, both defeats have come at The London Stadium. West Ham will be looking to knock out both Manchester clubs in the cup, having already defeated Manchester United at Old Trafford earlier on in the campaign.
Manchester City are unbeaten against The Hammers in their last 12 previous meetings and will be looking to continue their magnificent streak in The Carabao Cup, after winning the trophy six times in the last eight years and winning four years on the bounce.
Team Lineups
West Ham United Lineup:
Manchester City Lineup:
Match Commentary
Both teams walkout as the bubbles fly into the sky, both sides rotate a number of the starting eleven, but nonetheless, we are about to witness two strong and competitive sides battling out for a place in the quarter finals at The London Stadium.
01: Both sets of players take the knee to applause from the crowd as Cole Palmer gets us underway.
04: Interestingly, Cole Palmer seems to be taking up the centre-forward role in Pep’s side. Big responsibility on the 19-year-old.
06: City are pressing quickly and moving the ball quickly in possession, The Citizens are camped in the West Ham half right now.
08: Fantastic play from City, passing it through The United midfield, Cole Palmer slips in Ilkay Gundogan before a last-ditch tackle from Ben Johnson prevents a fantastic opportunity, great defending from the young full-back.
14: Both sides are lacking any real cutting edge in the final third, Ben Johnson has been the brightest player on the pitch and has dealt with Raheem Sterling superbly so far in this contest.
18: Quick feet on the edge of the City box by Manuel Lanzini allows Mark Noble to hit a strike from distance, he blasts his shot right down the goalkeepers throat, Steffen beats it away and City counter quickly through Sterling and De Bruyne before the Belgian’s cross is deflected behind for a corner. Better play from both sides.
21: Nathan Ake tugs Andriy Yarmolenko’s shirt and concedes a free kick in a decent crossing position in City’s half, Craig Dawson gets a flick on from the set piece but no one gets onto the end of it.
25: Riyad Mahrez does well to spot Palmer in the box, who takes a touch and shoots down low. Areola gets a strong foot to the ball, keeping the ball out of the goal and away from danger.
28: Sterling wriggles in and out of defenders in the West Ham penalty area before his shot is blocked away by Tomas Soucek.
30: Sterling is blocked off by Dawson, the referee signals for no foul, the play goes on and Gundogan takes a shot on from distance, but his shot sails high and wide of the goal.
35: Ilkay Gundogan does brilliantly to pick out Riyad Mahrez at the back post, who strikes the ball on the volley with his weaker right foot wide of the goal, better play from City.
40: Manchester City have a corner as Palmer’s shot on the edge of the box is deflected wide by Issa Diop, the set piece is met by a resolute West Ham United defence and comes to nothing.
45: A Manchester City set piece deep into West Ham’s half is crossed in by Mahrez and is met by Ake, who heads wide from close range – for sure the best chance of the half – the centre half will be disappointed to not open the score-line with that effort.
Half Time: A first half at the London Stadium that has lacked quality and ruthlessness in the final third at both ends of the pitch. The Citizens dominated the majority of the ball but created little from open play, with the only clear cut chance of the half falling to Nathan Ake, who headed off target on the stroke of halt time.
Half Time: West Ham United 0 Manchester City 0.
46: Both sets of players are out for the second half, Joao Cancelo replaces Kyle Walker at the break and Manuel Lanzini gets us back underway for the second half.
49: Arthur Masuaku finds himself free on the left hand side of the penalty area and with the angle against him, shoots not far over the crossbar, good start to the second half from the home side.
52: The best chances of the game so far is created by the youngster Cole Palmer, who slips in the overlapping Gundogan, who fires wide from close range, a great opportunity to go 1-0 wasted by the visitors.
55: The game is becoming lively, Masuaku fires a shot straight at Steffen, who palms the ball to Yarmolenko, who takes an age to control the ball with his feet, allowing the City defenders time to come across and block the shot. First big chance of the game for the home side and the West Ham faithful are starting to sense that City are there for the taking.
57: Sterling receives the ball on the edge of the box and cuts inside before his shot is well saved down to the goalkeeper’s right hand side.
58: Wow, fantastic save by the Frenchman Areola, De Bruyne puts in a beautiful cross into the West Ham penalty area, which is met well by John Stones and a fabulous save from Areola keeps the ball out.
59: This game is really heating up, good build up play by the home side finds Vlasic in the City penalty area, who lays the ball off for Tomas Soucek, who puts the ball inches wide of the top right corner of Steffen’s goal, a big chance for the Czech international.
61: A City corner is taken short out to De Bruyne who spots Mahrez open on the outside of the box, whose half volley is kept out by Areola.
62: A few substitutes from the West Ham United Bench as Jarrod Bowen, Said Benrahma and Pablo Fornals are all on to replace Andriy Yarmolenko, Nikola Vlasic and Arthur Masuaku.
68: Raheem Sterling finds Cole Palmer free around the penalty spot, lays the ball off to the youngster and he balloons his shot well over Areola’s crossbar, Palmer is furious with himself over that one.
70: Oleksandr Zinchenko blocks a Lanzini shot from the edge of the area, deflecting the strike out for a corner kick but the corner is overhit and goes back out for a goal kick.
71: Riyad Mahrez is replaced by the on form Phil Foden.
75: Unbelievable fortune almost puts City ahead as Phil Foden’s shot deflects into the path of Ilkay Gundogan but the West Ham keeper does well to react quickly and get a foot in before the German taps the ball in from 5 yards out.
76: Cole Palmer is replaced by Gabriel Jesus. The English youngster has looked extremely bright throughout the game but has lacked a little composure in his end product tonight, an extremely promising player who we will see more of this season, I am sure of that.
79: Kevin De Bruyne drives with the ball and almost manages to pick out Phil Foden, before Ben Johnson gets a fantastic flick onto the ball, putting it behind for a City Corner, which comes to nothing.
82: Manuel Lanzini is off and replaced by Vladimir Coufal, who is returning back from injury. The visitors also make a change, as Kevin De Bruyne makes way for Jack Grealish – who enters the field to a chorus of boos from the home supporters.
83: Zinchenko blasts a fierce strike at Areola who tips the ball over the bar for a City corner. Foden’s corner is met by Fernandinho, who heads over the bar at the near post.
87: A delicate touch after a Johnson cross from Fornals helps set up Soucek who fires his shot wide of the target, penalties are approaching if neither side can break the deadlock.
90: Wow, that was close. Foden wins a tussle on the edge of the box with Soucek and gets a shot off, inches wide of Areola’s near post.
92: Fernandinho is clipped by Fornals right on the edge of the West Ham penalty area, this is the last chance to win the game in normal time.
93: Gundogan strikes the wall. The ball rebounds to Jesus who picks out Sterling in the box who has a free header, but the former Liverpool winger heads it straight at Areola.
94: The referee has blown for full time. a penalty shootout approaches…. Areola has been terrific all night for the Hammers, can he help send his side to the quarter finals? we shall wait to find out.
Penalty Shootout
Mark Noble steps up first for the Hammers.
He makes no mistake, dispatching his penalty high in the middle of the goal. 1-0 West Ham.
Foden steps up first for the away side.
FODEN MISSES. The England international puts it wide of Areola’s post. Still 1-0 West Ham.
Jarrod Bowen is up next looking to double the Hammers’ advantage.
Zach Steffen gets a hand to Bowen’s penalty but fails to keep it out. 2-0 West Ham.
Cancelo is next to take and must score to keep City’s hopes alive.
He makes no mistake as the ball beats Areola into the bottom corner. 2-1 West Ham.
The centre back is up next for United, Dawson puts the ball onto the penalty spot.
He sends Steffen the wrong way, into the back of the net. 3-1 West Ham.
The Brazilian substitute, Gabriel Jesus is up next.
As calm as you like, Jesus rolls the ball past Areola. 3-2 West Ham.
The set piece maestro, Aaron Creswell is up next for the Hammers.
He places the ball past Steffen, City must score to stay in the cup. 4-2 West Ham.
Grealish steps up to keep City in the cup.
Brilliant penalty from the £100M Man, but if West Ham score next, They are in the quarter finals. 4-3 West Ham
Benrahma is up to take the potential winning penalty for the irons.
HE SCORES. Steffen gets a glove to the penalty but it was not enough to keep it out. Manchester City are out of the Carabao Cup for the first time since 2017. Unbelievable. The penalty shootout finishes 5-3 to West Ham United.
The game finishes; West Ham United 0 Manchester City 0 with West Ham winning 5-3 on penalties.
An uneventful first half was followed up by a thrilling second half and a tense penalty shootout in front of the home fans. West Ham defended brilliantly throughout the course of the 90 minutes and they have knocked Manchester United and now Manchester City out of the Carabao Cup, they will certainly have their eye on this trophy for sure.
Thank you for keeping up with my match reporting and I will catch you again sometime in the near future, enjoy your evening and goodnight.
