Manchester City v West Ham: Premier League – live!

45 min Masuaku is booked for fouling De Bruyne just outside the area on the right.

44 min Aguero has a shot on the turn blocked by Ogbonna. That was City’s 13th attempt on goal to West Ham’s one.

43 min West Ham’s best attack of the half. Antonio moved out to the right to receive a pass from Rice, looked up and whacked a superb curling cross that flashed across the face of goal.

40 min Meanwhile, a new angle shows that Laporte didn’t touch that ball over the line, so it was definitely Rodri’s goal.

39 min Bernardo Silva cuts inside and crosses towards the near post, where David Silva stabs wide on the stretch. I think Fabianski blocked it, on reflection, but a goalkick was given.

38 min This match is absurdly one-sided, and that’s with City nowhere near their best.

36 min It looks like the goal has been given to Rodri. Strange, as I’m pretty sure Laporte Craigjohnstoned it on the line, but no matter.

34 min “Did the City fans not voice their support for their downtrodden brothers,” says Ian Copestake. “Or perhaps a plaintive rendition by older supporters of ‘Hello darkness my old friend’.”

All that pretty passing, and City take the lead with a simple corner. De Bruyne clipped it to the near post, where the unmarked Rodri leapt to flick the ball across goal and into the net. West Ham had nobody on the far post. The ball was going in anyway but Laporte made sure, and I suspect it will eventually go down as his goal.

29 min Mendy’s mishit cross is punched behind at the near post by Fabianski. City are nowhere near their best. They’ll still win 5-0, probably, but it’s been a subdued performance so far.

25 min I think 3-5-1-1 was a generous interpretation of West Ham’s formation. It’s 5-4-1, basically, and it is working pretty well.

22 min Nothing comes of that West Ham corner. Meanwhile, replays show that a) Aguero was almost certainly onside and b) Ogbonna fouled him, and felt him up for that matter, so it should have been a penalty to City.

21 min West Ham break forward in numbers for the first time in the match, and Fredericks wins a corner.

20 min City appeal for a penalty when Aguero appears to be pulled back in the area. I think the flag had already gone up for offside, and there’s no sign of VAR getting involved.

18 min City haven’t been at their best, even though they should be 2-0 up. Their passing has been slow by their standards.

15 min “West Ham’s ‘dignity’, Rob?” sniffs Matt Dony. “Jazz-mag funding, least practical place to play football since 1914 (but with none of the heartwarming humanity), a consistently hilarious player recruitment policy, banning a fan for wearing a t-shirt they didn’t like, and Karren Brady. Bit late with that stable door, there.”

14 min: Jesus misses another great chance! He was put through by De Bruyne but faffed unnecessarily, 10 yards from goal, and that allowed Cresswell to come from behind to make two vital blocks. West Ham thought Jesus was offside; he wasn’t.

13 min De Bruyne rifles a low, long-range strike that is kicked away by Fabianski. He was going the wrong way, so it may have taken a deflection.

8 min De Bruyne eases a pass into Aguero in the D. He controls the ball and then, out of nothing, flicks an imaginative effort with the outside of the foot that goes just wide.

6 min Jesus misses an excellent chance. He was put through on goal by a beautiful pass from David Silva and decided to go round Fabianski rather than shoot. That allowed Fredericks to nip in and poke the ball behind for a corner.

2 min “Dear Rob,” says Mac Millings. “As a sympathetic, entirely neutral, Watford-born observer, I sincerely hope West Ham’s goal difference doesn’t take an absolute shoeing this evening.”

1 min Peep peep! City kick off from left to right. There are a surprising number of empty seats at the Etihad.

It’s almost time for action. I fear for West Ham’s dignity tonight, not to mention their goal difference.

Pep Guardiola speaks

“After the game, we can talk about whatever you want… There was an impact on the players [when the ban was announced], but only for a few hours. We support the club 100 per cent. [Has it been harder to lift the players?] The players are exceptional professionals.”

He’s in no mood.

Alternative association football action

Manchester City (4-3-3) Ederson; Walker, Otamendi, Laporte, Mendy; De Bruyne, Rodri, D Silva; B Silva, Aguero, Jesus.
Substitutes: Bravo, Stones, Cancelo, Gundogan, Fernandinho, Mahrez, Foden.

West Ham (3-5-1-1) Fabianski; Diop, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Fredericks, Noble, Rice, Soucek, Masuaku; Snodgrass; Antonio.
Substitutes: Randolph, Balbuena, Zabaleta, Felipe Anderson, Lanzini, Bowen, Haller.

Referee Kevin Friend

Hello and welcome to live coverage of the rearranged Premier League match between Manchester City and West Ham United. We’re all friends here, most of us anyway, so let us speak frankly: there will be more attention on Pep Guardiola’s pre- and post-match interview than the actual football. The match is largely meaningless to City, who are going to finish second or third this season regardless. West Ham need every point they can get, though, and a draw tonight would move them out of the relegation zone.

It’ll be interesting to see what mood City are in. There’s a fair chance they will take our their FFP frustrations on West Ham, and maybe even exceed the 5-0 victory at the London Stadium on the opening weekend of the season. But they could also be subdued and lacking in motivation, in which case West Ham might nick something. We’ll soon find out.

Kick off is at 7.30pm GMT.