Alvaro Negrado netted four as Manchester City brushed West Ham United aside, in a 6-0 drumming in a League Cup tie, with a shattering result for already under fire Hammers boss Sam Allardyce.
City enjoyed a ruthless first half spell, as Alvaro Negrado and Edin Dzeko tore through a vunerable Hammers defence.
West Ham, who were coming into the game an terrible form, had a mountain to climb early on, as Allardyce looked for a better response following their 5-0 hammering away at Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup.
After a bright start from the host’s, which saw Yaysa Toure test Spanish keeper Adrian, City found themselves an early lead as inform centre forward Alvaro Negrado got the ball rolling.
After some neat build up play, after Yaya Toure found the striker with a superb floating ball, and Negrado latched onto the ball and volleyed home past a static Adrian to bag the first, as things would go bad to worse for the Hammers.
City then dominated after that, and several chances later, which included Adrian saving a Dzeko header from point blank range, City had a second sooner rather than later.
Toure sprayed the ball across the turf to Edin Dzeko, who turned Demel, before picking out Negrado, who took a touch, and fired home from a tight angle, as City looked to assert their advantage early on.
In a half were West Ham hardly had a chance on goal, Mohammed Diame saw his driven shot well saved by City’s Cup keeper Costal Pantilimon.
Then, Demel almost headed wide of the post for the Hammers.
Negrado was on fire, and forced a save from Adrian, who is also considered as Jussi Jaaskelainen’s understudy.
City’s powerhouse midfielder then ran half the length of the pitch, holding off several challenges in a lung busting run, and smashed the ball past Adrian, and that was with just 40 minutes played in the Cup tie.
Hammers fans were feared another trouncing after the FA Cup defeat on Sunday, and at 3-0 down in the pouring rain, things were looking rather bleak at the Etihad.
Their team had Mohamed Diamé, a midfielder, playing as the solitary striker and a full-back, George McCartney, in the centre of defence alongside Roger Johnson, who had been loaned from League One side Wolverhampton Wanderers, were completely after their depth, chasing shadows in some cases, as City ran riot, and showed no mercy whatsoever.
Allardyce’s team finding a way back into the tie went from miniscule to non-existent after the break, in what was a complete and utter disaster for the Hammers, as Gold and Sullivan looked on in disbelief.
Defender Roger Johnson looked what he was: a Championship and League One defender, who has suffered three relegations in his career, trying to stop the most formidable attack in English Football.
City have scored a whopping 59 goals in just twelve games, an unbelievable statistic from a superb team, brimming with confidence in every competition.
Negrado soon had a hat-trick, as he teased the City defence, as Toure’s superb ball to Silva, who cut inside and played a superb ball across the box, into the path of Negrado, who fired in first time.
Negredo’s hat-trick, taking his personal total to 18 goals in 28 appearances, in what has been a superb start from the former Seville striker.
Diame saw his tame shot saved by Pantilimon, as Allardyce watched on in the pouring rain, chewing his gum in frustration.
Dzeko made it six after connecting well with Clichy’s teasing cross, to bundle home past a beaten Adrian, with many of the Hammers side looking regretful of the nights. events.
Dzeko then shot just past the post, as City were hungry for more.
Allardyce, sheltering from the rain, with his hood up and his hands in his pockets, was cutting a forlorn figure, of a man who looks like a dead man walking.
Silva saw his curling shot well saved by Adrian.
But the keeper could do anything about City’s sixth, as Dzeko smashed the ball past Adrian into the corner.
Samir Nasri wasted a chance to make it seven, after ignoring the open Dzeko, and firing straight at Adrian.
All in all a superb win for City, in a result which leaves Allardyce with much to ponder.
By Ben Reardon
@BenReardon1
