Manchester City vs West Ham: Sergio Aguero keeps cool to maintain pressure on Liverpool

The Blues kept pace with Liverpool to remain two points off the top as they march towards a potential quadruple

Manchester City pick up a vital three points to maintain the pressure on Liverpool, though it comes with a reminder that title contenders often have to win the hard way.

Though totally dominant against West Ham, the reigning Premier League champions required a second-half Sergio Aguero penalty to win, stay within one point of the leaders and spoil Manuel Pellegrini’s return to the Etihad.

Pellegrini earned himself the nickname ‘This Charming Man’ during his time in Manchester and he came back hoping his jumped-up pantry boys would not know their place' and instead pull off a surprise result.

Up until the hour-mark, that seemed possible. Despite being second-best by some distance, West Ham held a wasteful City at bay and may have taken a shock lead had Andy Carroll made a better connection with one opportunity at the start of the second half.

But the clear gulf in quality between these two sides would ultimately tell. The introduction of both Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva at the start of the second half saw City shift gears and the latter won the Aguero penalty which would prove decisive.

City began at a relentless pace, creating at least three clear-cut opportunities inside the opening 10 minutes, but still failed to open the scoring early.

After being trusted to start in a league game for the first time since December, Riyad Mahrez squandered the best of them, clearing the crossbar when found in space at the far post by Ilkay Gundogan.

David Silva came closest to establishing a lead in those opening stages, turning a Kevin De Bruyne cross against the post before De Bruyne himself scuffed a chance on the half-volley. Unable to escape their own half, West Ham were already hanging on.

Half-time seemed a long way away for Pellegrini’s side at that point but when it came, the game was still goalless. For the first time at home in the league this season, the champions would fail to score in the opening 45 minutes.

Felipe Anderson and Riyad Mahrez battle for the ball (AFP/Getty)

Many around the Etihad blamed Mahrez. City repeatedly went in search of the Algerian out on the right, hoping he could expose the inexperience of West Ham’s 19-year-old debutant Ben Johnson at left-back, but the timing of his runs and his first touch was often below par.

Mahrez at least registered his side’s only shot on target of the first half, cutting inside from the right and firing right down Lukasz Fabianski’s throat. For all their dominance, with more than an 80 per cent share of possession, City’s other 10 efforts were all off target.

West Ham, for their part, had not once tested Ederson and shown little in the way of any threat but that changed at the start of the second half.

Manuel Lanzini, currently making his way back from a long-term injury, jinked past Nicolas Otamendi and cut a cross to the far post. Carroll had to stretch to connect but still tested Ederson, who clawed the ball away from his top right-hand corner.

It was a wake-up call for City. Guardiola quickly brought on both Sterling and Bernardo from the substitutes’ bench and together, they helped turn the game. Shortly after his arrival, Bernardo won a soft penalty, tangling legs with Felipe Anderson.

Aguero celebrates scoring vs West Ham (Action Images via Reuters) (Reuters)

Aguero could have won a more legitimate spot-kick of his own seconds earlier, only to be ignored by referee Stuart Attwell, but he was more than happy to convert the one won by Bernardo, rolling the ball past Fabianski and easing the tension around the Etihad.

Minutes later, a spot of pinball in the West Ham penalty area should have resulted in a second. Sterling first had a shot parried by Fabianski. Silva’s attempt on the rebound was blocked on the line by Fredericks, then the clearance bounced off Bernardo’s head and over.

Still the second would not come. Bernardo and Sterling combined once more, with the former twisting and turning around the visiting defence then sliding a pass to his fellow substitute, but Sterling could only prod the ball wide.

One or two more would have been welcome, especially on a night when Liverpool scored five to move within six of City’s goal difference total, but more important was to take three points. City did, even if they did not come easy.