West Ham 0-5 Manchester City: 5 Hits and Flops

#1 Hit: Raheem Sterling

Hat-trick hero Raheem Sterling with the match ball after an inspired second-half display in front of goal

How many times will you see Raheem Sterling top this list over the course of this season? If he continues playing like this in the final third, expect it to be a regular occurrence.

We've said time and again that Sterling continues to improve and for a player who turns 25 in December, it seems he's been around forever. His decision-making and finishing were both razor-sharp on this occasion during a second-half packed with chances, against a West Ham backline who seemed there for the taking.

Kevin de Bruyne displayed moments of individual brilliance as usual before recording his first assist of the new campaign, launching a marauding forward run before passing across to Sterling in space. He slotted home into the bottom corner, making his finish look easier than it was.

VAR cruelly ruled out an assist by the Englishman who had teed up Jesus. He was adjudged to have been marginally offside, although new rules state both arms and hands are not included when judging offside positions.

Sterling's movement proved decisive as Mahrez found him with an excellent lofted pass before finishing the move brilliantly with a deft chip over an onrushing Lukasz Fabianski for his 50th City league goal.

On for a hat-trick, he was understandably frustrated when substitute Aguero immediately took the reigns as their spot-kick taker after Mahrez won the penalty. But that only fuelled his fire to add another before full-time, applying the finishing touch from close-range in stoppage-time, while leaving Fabianski looking silly.

After his goal in last Sunday's Community Shield win, he now has a Premier League hat-trick to kick off the new season in style. Not bad at all!

Pitchside reaction from hat-trick hero @sterling7 🎥🛠 0-5 🔵 #WHUMCI #mancity pic.twitter.com/PiAFTgQOgS

— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 10, 2019