Man City go top with win over West Ham

The result never seemed out of questions, with City continuing to dominate before Sterling added a third in extra-time to round up the three points easily.

However they did ease up in the second half to allow West Ham back into the game.

West Bromwich Albion and Middlesbrough scrapped their way to a goalless draw in a Premier League game of few chances at The Hawthorns on Sunday.

Superior goal difference took them above Chelsea and neighbours Manchester United, who have also won their three opening games.

However, there would have been frustrations eating away at him on the journey home.

A negative for Guardiola’s side could be a second-half incident in which star striker Sergio Aguero appeared to swing an elbow at marker Winston Reid as they competed for a high ball in the second half.

But Guardiola reckons he is at his best playing every week and, while many doubted him, the City boss challenged him to show his talent. His move takes West Ham’s spending so far up to £60million.

Pep Guardiola rested a number of players for Wednesday night’s dead rubber against Steaua Bucuresti, and so reverts back to what has become something of a preferred lineup for the new manager.

He scored eight goals in 24 appearances past year for the Serie A champions and he is ready to take his game to the next level in the near future.

Guardiola’s demands for attacking moves to start from the goalkeeper almost resulted in a an early contender for goal of the season. Stopping it was like trying to prevent a flood with a pillow. It was his first goal for Manchester City since March.

Otherwise, this was another day to supply hard evidence that Guardiola’s arrival has rejuvenated Sterling and that City’s other creative players are also relishing the change of manager.

Hart, by contrast, is in a kind of Alaska.

Eleven minutes later, City doubled their lead when Kevin De Bruyne arrowed in a free-kick from the right and Fernandinho rose to direct his impressive header into the top corner – a day short of the anniversary of his last top-flight strike. The Brazilian did not feel the breath of a challenge as he met it and Adrian slapped his gloves on his thighs and shouted, hopelessly, despairingly at his defence.

The Argentina was replaced towards the end by Samir Nasri, who squandered two chances to wrap it up for City.