Man City re-establishes 8-point gap with Man Utd

Midfielder David Silva scored a late winner as Man City beat West Ham 2-1 to restore their eight-point lead over Man Utd.

The joy of Silva and his teammates when they won in the final minutes. Photo: AFP

Goals: Otamendi 57', Silva 83' - Ogbonna 44'

Coach David Moyes could not help his former team Man Utd close the gap with their neighbours before the Manchester derby. West Ham, in an effort to escape the relegation zone, played hard, defended with many layers, but in the end had to submit to the number one team in the Premier League at the moment.

West Ham opened the scoring at the Etihad Stadium with a header from centre-back Angelo Ogbonna. In the second half, another centre-back stepped up, Nicolas Otamendi, who came in close to level the score for Man City from Gabriel Jesus' cross.

In the remaining minutes, West Ham players focused all their efforts on defending in front of the 16m50 box, making many people think of a draw. However, the difference of the stars on the Man City side kept all three points at Etihad. Midfielder Kevin de Bruyne had a brilliant assist, eliminating the entire West Ham defense, allowing David Silva to run down and volley home.

This goal not only brought three valuable points to Man City but also had special meaning for Silva as the Spanish midfielder just extended his contract until 2020 last week.

Ogbonna's opening goal. Photo: AFP.

This is the fourth consecutive match in all competitions, and the third in the Premier League, that Man City have scored the decisive goal after the 80th minute. In the previous three matches, Sterling was the scorer, including a goal in the final seconds against Southampton.

Man City's dramatic victories have left both halves of Manchester watching in suspense. While Man Utd wait for their opponents to stumble, Man City are determined not to give their neighbours a chance to rejoice. The eight-point gap before Man City visit Old Trafford on December 10 will give coach Pep Guardiola and his team a mental advantage, while the pressure to win weighs on the "Red Devils".

In the match against West Ham, Man City faced fierce resistance from the visitors. Coach David Moyes's team was well organized, not only in defense but also in dangerous attacks. Besides Ogbonna's goal, Michail Antonio and Manuel Lanzini both threatened Man City's goal.

West Ham caused many difficulties for Man City. Photo: AFP

However, Man City showed the courage to overcome the difficult moments. The home team had maximum possession and the chances came one after another, helping them score two goals to turn the game around. The second goal was a team effort when De Bruyne poured oil over the West Ham defence before Silva volleyed the ball home.

The defeat to Man City was a disappointing result for West Ham as they came very close to ending their winning streak. Since taking charge, manager David Moyes has only won two points from four games, leading West Ham to their worst start in the club's history with 10 points from 15 games. West Ham will play London derbies against Chelsea and Arsenal in the next two games.

Meanwhile, Man City have increased their number of consecutive wins in the Premier League this season to 13, equaling the record of Arsenal (2001-2002 season) and Chelsea (2016-2017). If they can beat Man Utd in the next match, a new record for consecutive wins will be set.

According to VNE