Manchester City 3-0 West Ham United

Ten-man West Ham United were beaten in their first away game of the new season after Manchester City took advantage of Mark Noble's dismissal to claim all three points on Sunday.

Daniel Sturridge hit the opener in the 64th minute against a visiting defence that had stood firm until that point before Elano then added two more on 71 and 77 minutes. Alan Curbishley's plans had been hampered by the enforced substitution of Carlton Cole on the half-hour mark and the sending off of Noble after two yellow cards - one for handball, the other for a challenge on Michael Johnson - in the 33rd and 39th minutes.

Curbishley had begun with the luxury of an unchanged 18 from the opening-day win against Wigan Athletic last week with Dean Ashton and Scott Parker fit after coming off in that 2-1 win. Manchester City's new manager Mark Hughes handed a debut in midfield to Vincent Kompany in place of Gelson Fernandes. Michael Ball replaced Javier Garrido at left-back, Stephen Ireland stepped in to replace Kelvin Etuhu and Sturridge was the fourth change ahead of Ched Evans up front.

City enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges with 18-year-old Sturridge - who was in because summer signing Jo was not yet back from Olympics duty while Valeri Bojinov and Darius Vassell remain injured - threatening to get in behind. On five minutes, Elano surged forward into the box but was dealt with by Calum Davenport.

At the other end, Cole was the most lively but City, who lost 4-2 at Aston Villa last week, were edging it. That was underlined in the 13th minute when Ireland shot for goal only to see Davenport head off the line. The clearance went straight to Vedran Corluka and his snap-shot seemed in until Davenport again got in the way, deflecting the ball up and on to the crossbar before Scott Parker could lash it to safety.

City thought the deadlock had finally been broken on 22 minutes when Martin Petrov sent a 25-yard free-kick up and over the wall. Robert Green could only watch as the ball smacked against the post and away from harm. Petrov was a menace and his surge down the left a minute later brought a caution for Valon Behrami. The home side then saw Sturridge twist before flashing a right-foot shot wide from ten yards.

The hard-working Cole then made way for Freddie Sears, having taken a knock seemingly to his left thigh in an earlier challenge. The defensive task became even more difficult when Noble got his marching orders after two quickfire yellow cards. As a sign of things to come, there was still time for Johnson to let fly in added time but Green flung himself to his right to save.

Half-time saw Sears sacrificed for the midfield play of Hayden Mullins and it was barely eight minutes before City had to make their first change, with Micah Richards carried off to be replaced by Dietmar Hamann following a nasty collision with Tal Ben Haim. Kompany dropped back into defence and City still looked to probe further forward - Elano prodding one into Green's grasp as the hour approached.

A great move on 63 minutes finished with Faubert sliding one teasingly into the penalty area for Ashton only for Kompany to snuff out the danger. That followed some better passing play by the visitors but it was City who broke the deadlock a minute later though when Sturridge lashed in an unstoppable shot past Green after Upson's clearance went straight to him ten yards out.

Faubert and Etherington could have levelled almost immediately but got in each other's way as they burst through and the chance was gone. Curbishley's side were soon two down when Elano kept his composure from similar range to the opening goal after Ireland had hooked the ball back into the centre. The final away change then saw Luis Boa Morte on for Etherington but City had the ball in the net again just after as Elano slotted in his second after another Ireland break on the right.

City promptly swapped Etuhu and Evans for Elano and Petrov, knowing the victory was secured. As Faubert fizzed one in that was just deflected wide in the closing stages and the fourth official displayed ten minutes of added time - after the earlier Richards injury - the travelling support kept on singing Bubbles. Ashton tried his luck with a late free-kick but there was to be no consolation for the long journey back to London.