Erling Haaland netted twice and assisted another goal as Manchester City showcased their title ambitions with a convincing 3-0 win over West Ham.
Haaland opened the scoring just five minutes into the one-sided match at the Etihad Stadium, setting up Tijjani Reijnders for a goal and adding another in the second half.
He narrowly missed out on a hat-trick in stoppage time.
This victory marks Pep Guardiola’s side’s fifth consecutive win in the Premier League, putting pressure on Arsenal at the top of the table.
Meanwhile, the Hammers will face Christmas in the relegation zone following a disappointing performance that extended their winless streak to six games.
West Ham began to put pressure on City only after the break, but any chance of a comeback was extinguished by Haaland’s second goal, which brought his season total for club and country to 38.
From the start, City dominated the game, and their control resulted in an early goal from Haaland.
They efficiently worked the ball down the left flank with Nico González setting up Phil Foden, who delivered a perfect pull-back for Haaland.
The Norwegian’s initial right-foot shot was blocked by Alphonse Areola, but he responded with a powerful left-footed strike on his second attempt.
Shortly after, Haaland could have scored again when Rayan Cherki sent in a cross at the ideal height, but he unexpectedly headed it wide.
City maintained complete control and opted for patient play, waiting for openings to arise.
Aside from a run from Jarrod Bowen that went through the area, West Ham created little, which made it unsurprising when City doubled their lead.
Cherki outmaneuvered Mateus Fernandes and found Haaland, who couldn’t shoot directly but set up Reijnders instead.
The Dutchman, who had previously forced a save from Areola with a powerful shot, finished off by driving the ball into the net from close range.
After halftime, West Ham exhibited more determination and nearly scored after Crysencio Summerville won the ball on the left and sent in a cross from the byline.
Gianluigi Donnarumma reacted swiftly to save Freddie Potts’ shot, and Fernandes missed the rebound by blasting over the bar.
Bowen dragged a shot wide as the Hammers looked for another chance, but City continued to create opportunities, with Rúben Dias heading at Areola and Foden shooting wide.
Haaland sealed the result in the 69th minute as City launched a counter-attack through substitutes Savinho and Rico Lewis.
Although the ball didn’t come to him cleanly, two West Ham defenders failed to clear, allowing Haaland to strike past Areola.
Donnarumma managed to save a shot from Summerville as West Ham briefly posed a threat again, but Foden and Josko Gvardiol had chances for City, with Haaland narrowly missing in the final moments.