In the first half, Erling Haaland got a foul from goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, earning his team a penalty.The striker then stepped up and calmly converted the penalty kick to give his team a deserved lead. After being played in by Kevin De Bruyne, Haaland doubled the lead in the second half with a crisp finish.
Erling Haaland won the penalty, and Erling Haaland converted it. Only one other player in Premier League history has done so on his debut.
However, we already know that anti-climax is improbable for Haaland, not least because he added a second goal 30 minutes after scoring his first. So this was quite an appearance. It was exactly what many said would happen: an acquisition that would alter Manchester City, making them even stronger, if not unbeatable.
It’s too soon to draw such dramatic conclusions, but the expectation that Haaland would upset Manchester City’s fragile equilibrium has all but vanished following the Community Shield defeat. This was the genuine beginning of the reason, and City looked like an exceptionally good side, aided by Haaland’s defining presence.
He mixes well with all of their key creators – Kevin De Bruyne through the centre, Jack Grealish wide – and West Ham were so focused on keeping them at bay that they forgot to play their own game.
To be fair, City were helped by a rather meek West Ham performance. Even when it became clear that the containment attempt had failed, they posed little threat. By the end, West Ham appeared content with a two-goal deficit – which, of course, could have been more.
Not least for Haaland, who missed two additional wonderful crosses and headed over a Grealish cross in the 70th minute that could have been his hat-trick. Only five minutes before, he had decided the game with City’s second, and the set-up was fairly foreboding. A lovely cross from De Bruyne set him free, and one on one with substitute goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, Haaland powerfully deposited the ball in the far corner. It was never in doubt for a single second. His father, Alf Inge, and mother, Gry Marita, were ecstatic in the stands. We should expect to see a lot more of that this season, as well as a lot more performances like this.
West Ham had started off well. Actually, quite good. Brave, on the front foot, presenting issues for the City at the back and in the air. Unfortunately for them, this time of dominance lasted about three minutes before normal service resumed, implying that Manchester City dominated. And so it began: the onslaught of passes and possession that defines this City club and overwhelms inept opponents. It’s a joy to watch, whether you’re a neutral, a purist, or a City fan. Home care, on the other hand, is a very different story.
The atmosphere in the stadium dims. Not precisely quiet, but distracted in the manner that a Lord’s audience might occasionally appear preoccupied with things other than what’s going on on the field. There is a soft hum. Conversations are taking place regarding who is going to the bar, what is expected of the bar, where to go on vacation, and whether we will ever get the ball back. Throughout it all, City is knocking it around, probing, testing, pushing the opponents out of position, and waiting for their opportunity. And, inevitably, a goal emerges.
It could be the kind of shot De Bruyne had after 14 minutes, screwed surprisingly wide from Joao Cancelo’s set up, when he is usually so accurate; it could be a cross from Phil Foden, which Haaland couldn’t quite meet nine minutes later, or another from De Bruyne in the second-half, an inch out of reach before Ilkay Gundogan missed; or it could be the work of a lovely through pass to the new striker
And it was the latter yesterday. Areola was the perpetrator. He came on after 28 minutes after Lukasz Fabianski had given up trying to continue after a fight with Haaland. There was no misbehavior. It was a loose ball that both the goalkeeper and the striker hoped would bounce off each other. He’s a huge unit, Haaland – it’s one of his many assets – and Fabianski was clearly hurt. He received several minutes of therapy, attempted to play on, quickly decided against it, and was gone.
Areola, Moyes’ first choice in cup competitions, including last season’s Europa League campaign, came on. But there’s a reason he doesn’t start here more frequently. Manchester City entered the game as a result of poor decision-making. A through ball to Haaland, the colossal striker rounding Areola, the goalie throwing out a desperate arm to claw him to the ground. We don’t know if Haaland would have scored from that position, but he was in a better one with the ball 12 yards out. The best goal scorers relish penalties, and to Haaland’s credit, there is no doubt who takes them at Manchester City. The ball went low to the left, Areola moved the opposite way, and City and Haaland failed to connect.
By this point, City’s possession had surpassed 80%, and West Ham’s early promise had faded. It amounted to considerable set piece pressure, resulting in a fight between Ruben Dias and his own goalkeeper Ederson, who was left with a shiner more often seen at York Hall in Bethnal Green. He didn’t come for a Pablo Fornals cross, possibly because he was still feeling it, and Michail Antonio headed just over. West Ham fans had to make that memory last as City threw their blanket over the game. They didn’t have another chance until Declan Rice fired wide in a strong position after 54 minutes.
Of course, the city has been here before. Sergio Aguero, an Argentine striker, scored twice in his debut against Swansea in 2011. He would go on to affect the course of the club’s history. It’s probable that Haaland will do the same. This was adequate as a beginning, but Europe awaits.