Football

Erling Haaland's relentless scoring prowess propelled Manchester City to the summit of the Premier League with a second consecutive hat-trick in a 3-1 triumph over West Ham United on Saturday. The Norwegian sensation, who terrorized Ipswich Town last weekend, repeated his treble feat to amass an astonishing 70 goals in just 69 Premier League appearances since joining City from Borussia Dortmund.City's title defense has commenced with an ominous display, leaving their rivals in awe after securing four consecutive league crowns. The English champions stand alone as the only team to emerge victorious in all three opening fixtures, largely due to Haaland's electrifying start."There are no words for him. All we can do is help him improve and provide him with as many chances as possible," said Pep Guardiola, City's manager.Guardiola enjoyed the luxury of resting key players Rodri, John Stones, and Kyle Walker after their Euro 2024 exploits, while Phil Foden missed the match due to illness. In contrast, Haaland enjoyed a summer break from international duty and appears rejuvenated."I feel great, I feel energized. I had a long vacation and pre-season," Haaland remarked. "Only footballers understand the importance of a break. You need to rest your body and mind because it's a long season. It's not as easy as people think. I feel fresh, and that's the most important thing."After scoring in the opening weekend victory at Chelsea and netting his 10th City hat-trick against Ipswich, Haaland has now established a Premier League record of seven goals in the first three games of a season.West Ham's downfall was self-inflicted as they surrendered possession deep in their own territory, allowing Bernardo Silva to set up Haaland for a composed finish past Alphonse Areola. City appeared poised to seize control of the match, but Areola denied Kevin De Bruyne before the Belgian struck the crossbar.However, West Ham's first meaningful attack resulted in an equalizer, aided by a City blunder. Jarrod Bowen drove into the City box and his low cross was inadvertently turned into his own net by Ruben Dias.City swiftly regained their composure and restored their lead with an intricate move that culminated in a thunderous finish. Rico Lewis' pass found Haaland, who unleashed a powerful shot past Areola.Haaland could have added an assist before the break, but Lewis squandered his deft lay-off. City's failure to find the elusive third goal left the door open for West Ham in the second half. A swift counter-attack saw Bowen set up Mohammed Kudus, who rattled the post with a fierce effort.Haaland, however, had the final say, sealing the three points with a clinical finish. The 24-year-old was played in by Matheus Nunes and confidently chipped the ball over substitute goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski. Fabianski denied Haaland a fourth goal in stoppage time.West Ham's second defeat in three games leaves Julen Lopetegui's side languishing in 14th place.

West Ham United has appointed Julen Lopetegui as its new manager, marking the Spaniard's return to management after a brief stint at Wolverhampton Wanderers. Lopetegui replaces David Moyes, who departed the club at the end of his contract after four and a half years.Lopetegui, a former Real Madrid and Spain coach, expressed his excitement about the opportunity to lead West Ham. "I feel that we have a fantastic platform," he said. "My ambition as a coach is always to be better and better, to achieve more and bigger aims, and to encourage and improve the players, the team, and to compete."Moyes leaves West Ham after a successful tenure that included winning the Europa Conference League last year. However, the team struggled in the second half of the 2022-23 season, winning only four Premier League games since January and finishing ninth.Lopetegui's appointment is expected to bring a fresh perspective to West Ham. The Spaniard is known for his attacking style of play and his ability to develop young players. He will be tasked with improving the team's form and guiding them back into European competition.West Ham's owners are confident that Lopetegui is the right man to lead the club forward. "We are delighted to welcome Julen to West Ham United," said David Sullivan, the club's co-chairman. "He is a world-class coach with a proven track record of success. We believe that he is the ideal person to lead our club into the next phase of its development."Lopetegui's first task will be to prepare West Ham for the upcoming season. The club will be looking to make a strong start under their new manager and challenge for a top-six finish in the Premier League.

Newly-crowned Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen have extended their remarkable unbeaten streak to 44 matches across all competitions after securing a place in the Europa League semi-finals. The German giants drew 1-1 with West Ham United in the second leg of their quarter-final tie, advancing 3-1 on aggregate.Michail Antonio gave the Hammers an early lead in the 13th minute, but Leverkusen fought back in the second half. Jeremie Frimpong's 89th-minute equalizer proved crucial, sending Xabi Alonso's side through to the last four.Leverkusen will now face AS Roma for a spot in the final. The Italian giants defeated Bodø/Glimt 4-0 on aggregate in their quarter-final tie."I think we felt it in the first half," said Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka after the match. "It was a typical English crowd. They were pushing West Ham unbelievably. We were lucky in the first half if we're honest.""It was a different phase in the second half, we controlled the game. We are happy we got through. We competed much more. If you see over 180 minutes, the better team go through."Leverkusen's triumph over West Ham marks a historic achievement for the club. Last weekend, they clinched their first Bundesliga title in over a decade, ending Bayern Munich's 11-year reign.The German side is now in contention for a treble trophy haul this season. They will face second-division Kaiserslautern in the German Cup final on May 25.