Is there really any point in a second leg? Such was the emphatic manner of Manchester City’s win in the Capital One Cup semi-final first leg here last night, they did not even need a second half.
Three goals up by the interval and coasting towards the final, Manuel Pellegrini’s side were every bit as dominant as West Ham had feared. The trip to Upton Park in two weeks is nothing more than a formality, as is their place at Wembley on March 2.
Alvaro Negredo must take the plaudits for a well-taken hat-trick with his left foot but rarely can the Spaniard have had an easier night.
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Jumping for joy: Alvaro Negredo was the hero for Manchester City with a devastating three-goal display
MATCH FACTS
MAN CITY: Pantilimon 6; Zabaleta 7, Kompany 6, Lescott 6, Clichy 7; Nasri 7, Toure 7 (Demichelis 66, 6), Garcia 6, Silva 7 (Lopes 73, 6); Negredo 8 (Kolarov 79), Dzeko 7.
Subs not used: Hart, Nastasic, Fernandinho, Milner.
Goals: Negredo 12, 26, 49, Toure 40, Dzeko 6, 89
Manager: Manuel Pellegrini 7
WEST HAM: Adrian 5; Demel 5, Johnson 4, McCartney 4, O'Brien 5 (Rat 75 5); Downing 5, Noble 5 (Diarra 57, 5), Taylor 6, Diame 5, Cole 4; Maiga 5 (C Cole 45 5)
Subs not used: Jarvis, Collison, Morrison, Jaasekelainen
Referee: Jonathan Moss 7
Manager: Sam Allardyce 5
Man of the match: Alvaro Negredo
Attendance: 38,000
At times, West Ham’s defending was amateurish. City do not need any help scoring goals — especially at the Etihad where they now have 59 in 15 games this season — and there could have been far more on a night when they fired 32 shots at goal.
Edin Dzeko scored another two and the Bosnian had lost count of City’s tally by the time he was interviewed afterwards, mistakenly thinking it was five.
‘That happens sometimes,’ said Pellegrini with a knowing smile after his Champions League miscalculation in Munich last month. As it rained goals on a wet night in Manchester, Sam Allardyce stood under heavy skies while the West Ham fans called for his head.
In the stands, co-owner David Sullivan, who gave his manager a vote of support this week, look equally unimpressed.
Allardyce was axed by Blackburn shortly after a 7-1 defeat across town at Manchester United in 2010, and on the sixth anniversary of his sacking by Newcastle he must have left fearing the chop again.
Lost cause: Under-fire West Ham boss Sam Allardyce shouts instructions to his side in another heavy defeat
Gulf in class: City's Yaya Toure (left) wins the ball from Mohamed Diame (centre) and Joey O' Brien
Opener: Negredo set the tone of the night with an early first goal for Manchester City
Double trouble: Negredo slides in to grab his, and City's, second goal against a beleaguered West Ham
Hat-trick hero: Negredo curls the ball home to complete his treble
On strike: Toure scores City's third goal of the game on their way to the semi-final rout
ARE YOU SURE?
Tickets for the second leg - now a mere formality - were on sale to West Ham fans for £42. You Unhappy Hammers are probably best off saving the cash...
Pellegrini, on the other hand, remains on course for his first trophy in English football and it will not be the only silverware in City’s sights. Even the cautious Chilean struggled to say there was still any life left in this tie afterwards.
‘In football it’s never finished,’ he said. ‘But it’s an important step to playing in the final at Wembley.’
The writing was on the wall even before kick-off. West Ham arrived on a run of one win in nine games and fresh from a 5-0 FA Cup pummelling by Championship side Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
Jumping for joy: Negredo leaps in front of delighted City fans as 'The Beast' wraps up his hat-trick
Familiar sight: Carlton Cole (left) and Matthew Taylor look dejected as they are forced to kick off once again
SIGN OF THE TIMES?
In February 1990, West Ham lost 6-0 at Oldham Athletic in a League Cup semi-final first leg. It proved to be manager Lou Macari’s final game in charge…
Allardyce made eight changes from that game, giving a debut to centre back Roger Johnson, signed on loan from Wolves. It is no secret Allardyce would have preferred City’s Joleon Lescott but that deal is on hold.
It always felt like a case of how long the Hammers could hold out, and the answer was just 12 minutes. For all City’s artistry, the goal was a route one creation straight out of Allardyce’s box of tricks.
Back in the action: Edin Dzeko rounded off the rout to further consign West Ham's misery
Rare possession: West Ham's Joe Cole (right) takes the ball past City midfielder Javi Garcia
Hammered: Adrian sits on the turf as City players celebrate after Edin Dzeko netted his second of the night
Sliced open: Dzeko finds the top corner after some stunning interplay on the left wing for City's sixth
Tale of two bosses: Manuel Pellegrini (right) looks content with his City side as Allardyce rages from the bench
Yaya Toure launched a high ball from halfway between Johnson and George McCartney, who had lost track of Negredo. The Spaniard had time to let the ball drop over his shoulder before executing an exquisite left-foot volley inside the near post.
Toure was left writhing in pain after a tangle with Mohamed Diame but continued after treatment. He had just limped back on when City scored their second goal in the 26th minute.
Negredo played the ball around the corner to Dzeko and broke upfield with McCartney struggling to keep up. Dzeko’s return pass sent his team-mate through and Negredo slid in to steer an emphatic finish beyond Adrian.
Man in the middle: Referee Jonathan Moss took a tumble after he slipped in the first half
Tussle: Taylor (left) attempts to put a challenge in on City playmaker Samir Nasri
HAT-TRICK HERO
Alvaro Negredo tweeted this picture of his signed hat-trick ball with the message: 'Good performance of the teammates. I'm very happy with my 3 goals too! Here is the ball of the match.'
Toure scored City’s third five minutes before half-time after more shocking defending by West Ham as he broke from halfway. Johnson went into reverse while Guy Demel and Mark Noble gave chase, but nobody got a challenge in before the City player drilled the ball home from 10 yards.
Half-time brought no respite for the visitors as City extended their lead within four minutes. David Silva’s cross deflected to Negredo, who made no mistake with another assured finish with his left foot.
It was left to Dzeko to grab the last two goals, the first when Silva picked out overlapping Gael Clichy, whose low cross was turned in at the near post by the Serb.
Then Nasri’s clever backheel let substitute Aleksandar Kolarov cross for Dzeko to crack in an emphatic sixth.
The West Ham fans turned on Allardyce, who stood impassively on the touchline as the rain came down. Whether he will still be there when City go to Upton Park later this month remains to be seen.
Bad night at the office: West Ham keeper Adrian looks forlorn at the final whistle after conceding six goals
Turning the back: City fans celebrate with their famous 'Poznan' in the stands at the Etihad
Magnificent: Negredo struck the opener after getting on the end of a 50-yard pass from Yaya Toure
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