MANCHESTER CITY v WEST HAM UNITED
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
ETIHAD STADIUM
SUNDAY 11 MAY 2014
KICK-OFF: 3PM
REFEREE: MARTIN ATKINSON
FULL AUDIO AND TEXT COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV
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Final score - Manchester City 2-0 West Ham United
93: Seconds to go. Thanks for joining us this season. It's been a rocky ride at times, but we'll be back in the Barclays Premier League when the whole thing kicks-off again on 16 August. In the meantime, don't forget to join us for coverage of all our pre-season tours, trips and matches at home and abroad. The final whistle is blown. The pitch invasion message goes unheeded and thousands of City fans pour onto the playing surface. While they party, we'll head down to get some post-match reaction from the West Ham camp. That will appear on our media platforms soon. Thanks again for joining us.
92: Fair play to City. Two titles in three years is some going. The PA man tells the City fans not to invade the pitch at the end. There are hundreds of orange-jacketed stewards surrounding the playing surface to ensure the fans listen to him.
91: We shall have three added minutes to complete the season. Adrian's long free-kick clears Carlton Cole and lands at the feet of Joe Cole. The flag goes up for offside, but I didn't think Carlton had flicked it on. Joe shoots wide, but it wouldn't have counted.
89: Some late drama here as Aguero catches Noble late. Noble is incensed and chases after the South American. A few other players race across to get involved, to pull the two apart. Aguero did catch Noble rather needlessly after the No16 had passed the ball to Jarvis. Both men are booked for their troubles.
88: McCartney blocks one shot, but the clearance only goes as far as Nasri. He feigns then shoots, with the ball flicking off the back of Reid and out for a corner.
86: Milner shoots and McCartney blocks. The ball flies out for a throw, which allows Pellegrini to replace Toure with Negredo. I don't have a total attendance, but there are 1,740 West Ham fans here this afternoon. Thanks for your outstanding support.
85: While West Ham have seldom looked like breaching the City goal, they have at least made the home side work this afternoon. At the end of a season that saw West Ham 19th with 15 points after 20 games, to finish 13th on 40 points is no mean achievement.
83: Toure gets into space behind Reid and the crowd rise in anticipation of a sign-off goal from their talisman. He instead knees the ball out for a goal kick.
81: It's Diame who is replaced by Joe Cole. He too applauds the West Ham fans as he comes off. The Claret and Blue Army welcome Joe with a decent ovation.
80: Joe Cole will be on shortly. Will this be his final appearance in a West Ham shirt?
78: Fine save by Adrian, who denies Nasri with his feet. The Frenchman had hit a crisp shot following a scoop over the West Ham defence from Toure.
77: Aguero gets into the penalty area, but he cannot get his shot away, then he slips over. West Ham clear through Noble and Downing.
76: Silva is replaced to a standing ovation. Milner comes on for his 19th Premier League substitute appearance of the season.
75: Jarvis works an opening on the left. He checks and curls over the inswinger, but it eludes both Cole and Downing and bounces behind.
74: If positives are to be taken from today, then the performances of the West Ham centre-backs would be one of them. Reid and Tomkins have had their work cut out, but they have kept their eye on the ball and made countless important interceptions.
72: It is the No9 who comes off. He applauds the West Ham fans as he jogs to the touchline.
71: Carlton Cole is getting ready to come on. He needs to score a hat-trick in the final 20 minutes for Liverpool to have a chance of winning the title. Presumably it will be Carroll who is replaced.
69: West Ham work the ball from right to left, and left to right. Downing crosses deep and Carroll is away from his man, but his control lets him down and the ball dribbles out for a goal kick. It's not happened today for the Big Man. Fernandinho is on for Dzeko.
67: Brazilian Fernandinho is going to be on shortly for the hosts, but not before Aguero misses an absolute sitter. He has a tap-in from five yards from a right-wing cross, but cannot get decent contact and meekly pokes the ball straight to Adrian.
65: City win a corner and it is taken short. Nasri collects again and wriggles along the edge of the box. His first pass is blocked, so he collects again and shoots, but the ball is deflected wide. Downing clears the corner and Jarvis runs it away and wins a throw from Demichelis.
64: Nolan is replaced by Jarvis. Diame goes into a central position behind Carroll.
63: Good football from City as Zabaleta gets down the right and collects a pass from Nasri. He gets away from Diame and crosses to the near post, from where Aguero heads wide.
61: West Ham pass confidently around 30 yards out, patiently trying to work an opening. Finally, Downing has the ball wide right and is felled by Demichelis. The pony-tailed defender is booked by referee Mr Atkinson. I thought he got the ball, but there you go. Downing's free-kick is cleared.
60: Matt Jarvis is going to be on shortly. Presumably Diame will be the man replaced.
59: City have understandably dropped a level since their second goal. West Ham are keeping the ball for longer periods and are playing higher up the pitch, which is encouraging.
56: Carroll is tripped by Kompany. Noble's free-kick is cleared as far as Taylor. He crosses and Carroll challenges Hart. The goalkeeper can only push the ball away for a corner. Downing curls in the ball and McCartney meets it at the near post, but his header flashes high and past the far post.
55: West Ham have their second shot. It goes wide, however. Downing crosses for Carroll, but the ball carries through to Diame. His cross is headed clear as far as Taylor, whose right-foot shot bobbles wide.
54: Nasri has a go with his left foot this time, from 20 yards. Adrian cannot hold it initially, but he reacts quickly enough to pounce on the loose ball.
52: After a quick Poznan from the home fans, Carroll resumes. City attack and a diagonal ball to the far corner of the penalty area is sliced wide on the volley by Aguero.
51: Carroll has the physio on for a head injury. The City fans use the break in play to enjoy a sing-song. You can't really blame them. Sixteen years ago they were being relegated to the third tier.
49: GOAL! Game over. The corner is swung into the edge of the six-yard box. Dzeko sticks out a foot and the ball hits that and a West Ham defender before falling perfectly for Kompany, who slams it into the net. You can start tying the sky blue ribbons on the trophy now.
49: Kolarov gets down the left and cuts inside Downing before going to ground. No card, but a free-kick to the hosts. It is curled into the near post by Nasri and Garcia's header takes a deflection on its way past the near post.
47: West Ham enjoy their best spell of possession of the entire match. Taylor swings the ball wide left for McCartney. He feeds it into Diame, who holds off Zabaleta and runs at the City defence. He beats one man, but not Kompany, who imperiously shrugs him off and brings the ball away. He finds Toure, whose galloping run is stopped by the alert Noble.
46: The final half of the season is underway. West Ham will need to find something to get back in this.
Half-time score - Manchester City 1-0 West Ham United
Manchester City have dominated and lead. The title looks to be heading, well, nowhere, seeing as the trophy is already here! The hosts have spent the vast majority of the game inside the West Ham have, shooting 14 times to the visitors' one. Possession-wise, it's 76-24 in City's favour. West Ham have had a couple of crosses into the box and Nolan has fired the one shot over the top. Defensively, West Ham have been well organised and disciplined and City have had to work hard for their openings. It is hard to see how West Ham can get back in this, but you never know!
46: We are going to have one added minute. There have hardly been any stoppages. Nasri crosses again and the ball spins off McCartney's foot for a corner. It's taken short to Toure, who finds Silva. The Spaniard shoots hard and low and Carroll thrusts out his right foot and diverts the ball onto the underside of the bar! It bounces away. West Ham hack clear and that's half-time.
45: City have a corner. Zabaleta meets Nasri's cross on the volley, but it flies wide of the near post. I'm not sure how West Ham are going to get back in this. They are spending next to no time in the City half, let alone threatening Hart's goal. Downing looks to be the best bet with his pace.
43: Nasri taunts the Hammers with a little show-boating. McCartney can't get the ball off him, so Diame brings him down rather forcefully before gesticulating at the Frenchman to stop showing off. The free-kick is headed across the face of goal and wide by Aguero.
41: City will now be relaxed. It would need something miraculous to happen for them not to win the title now. Reid somehow clears for a corner. Nasri takes an in-swinger and Tomkins heads away. Dzeko also goes to ground and the fans, who are rather excited, want a penalty. It's a throw-in.
39: GOAL! After all that passing, Nasri has a pot shot from 25 yards and it flies into the bottom left-hand corner. The home fans rise to their feet. He hit that well, Adrian went full-length but could only push the ball onto the base of the post and into the net.
39: Big Sam has been out on the edge of his technical area for the whole game so far. Pellegrini is also out patrolling. City patiently probing for an opening, as they have been doing for the vast majority of proceedings.
35: A counter from West Ham as Reid makes the interception, Nolan collects and then allows Noble to free Downing. He gets away from Kolarov, but Demichelis comes across to clear for a throw. From it, the cross comes over and Kompany heads high into the air. Carroll challenges Hart for the ball, but although he knocks it away from his England team-mate, it bounces just over the line for a goal kick.
33: Close call as Silva gets in behind the defence following a one-two. He looks to be clear, but Reid gets back and makes a fine interception before Silva's follow-up cross is deflected behind. Corner. The delivery comes in and flicks off a West Ham head for another corner. This one is cleared by Nolan, but Diame cannot keep the ball in.
32: Yellow card for Nolan as he challenges and catches Hart late with his right boot as he attacks McCartney's left-wing cross. That came after Carroll had won Adrian's goal kick clearance ahead of Garcia.
30: It is attack against defence. West Ham are trying to defend the edge of their own penalty area, but the speed of movement and passing is making that very difficult to achieve. The latest raid ends with Kolarov curling a first-time shot high over the crossbar.
28: Silva has come to a central position to get more involved in the game. He does, jinking into the box and crossing low, but it's too close to Adrian. The Spaniard collects as he falls forward.
26: Another chance for the home side as Aguero beats O'Brien as the Irishman tries to shield the ball out for a goal kick. Aguero cuts the ball back, but it's slightly behind Dzeko, who skies his shot. Another goal kick.
25: Seeing as I am obsessed with the weather, I should report that it is raining again. Kolarov has the ball 30 yards out and is encouraged to shoot. He does, and Adrian tips over. Great save. Corner. The corner is cleared for a throw on the far side.
23: Nasri again causing trouble as he runs with the ball and gets past McCartney. He pulls the pass sideways to Dzeko, who should look up and find Silva to his left, but instead slices an ugly shot high and wide. Silva is not impressed. Another goal kick for Adrian to blast into the City half.
22: The home side are dominating and their fans have just learned that Liverpool trail at home to Newcastle. Suffice to say, it is loud in here. It nearly gets even louder as Toure shoots wide from Nasri's cut-back. Goal kick. To be fair, that was always curling away.
20: City's movement is so good. Silva, Toure and then Nasri into the box, but his low cross is poked behind by McCartney. The corner comes in and Demichelis heads well over.
18: Go on Andy! Carroll holds up a pass into him well before holding off Kompany and out-muscling the City captain. He then pokes the ball left to Diame, who makes 20 yards before his cross is blocked. City go on the county and Aguero shoots from about 25 yards. The ball skips off the wet turf but Adrian shows good handling by holding on.
15: O'Brien is fouled on the West Ham right. This one is lifted into the box, but City clear and Toure finds Dzeko with a superb ball into the West Ham half. The Bosnian races down the right and wins a corner when his cross is blocked. Nasri takes and Reid heads clear, but there is no West Ham player upfield. Silva collects and dribbles into the box, but he is halted by another decent tackle, this time from Taylor. Downing clears.
13: Another muted penalty appeal from the home fans as Zabaleta goes down following a well-executed block tackle from Diame. That was a superb challenge. He clearly got some of the ball, despite the right-back's complaints. Nasri crosses again seconds later, but Tomkins is there to head clear.
12: Well, it's a shot, but it's not threatening the goal! Downing slips in behind Kolarov and has some space. He uses his pace and then checks before laying off for Nolan, who is unable to keep his shot down from 25 yards. Ironic cheers as the ball flies into the stand.
11: The first shot in anger from a City player and Silva should hit the target there. Nolan blocks a shot, but City keep it alive and Zabaleta flies down the right before crossing over the head of the two West Ham centre-backs for the Spaniard, who shapes and has time but can only volley well over the top. Good chance.
9: City want a penalty as Noble cuts out Nasri's low cross but inadvertantly kicks the ball onto his own arm. Adrian collects amid some appeals from the home fans, but it's not deliberate and not a penalty. The home side are dominating here.
8: A collective intake of breath as Kolarov gets to the byline and crosses low and hard to the near post. Tomkins slides in and clears well before Noble completes the job.
7: Tactically, West Ham are playing their usual 4-2-3-1 formation, with Nolan central behind Carroll, Diame on the left and Downing on the right. City have Nasri wide right and Silva wide left in a 4-4-2. Amazingly, it appears the rain has now stopped or at least massively eased off...
5: It is absolutely bucketing down!
3: Zabaleta collects from Nasri and runs at the defence inside the box, but he is ushered wide and cannot keep the ball in before crossing into the side netting. Goal kick.
2: A quiet opening in the rain here in Manchester. West Ham launch a long free-kick to the edge of the box for Carroll, whose knockdown finds Taylor, but he can only win a throw that comes to nothing.
3.01pm - City kick-off...
2.59pm - Come on West Ham - let's spoil this party.
2.58pm - Here come the two teams! It is also suddenly absolutely chucking it down with rain! There is a superb atmosphere here at the Etihad now and a huge feeling of expectation.
2.53pm - There is good noise inside the Etihad, but you can sense some nerves as well. They came very close to messing this up against QPR a couple of years back, so nobody will be counting any chickens just yet - unless Kevin Nolan scores, of course! The Claret and Blue Army are making plenty of noise away to my right, but not as much as the City fan with an air horn sitting two rows in front of us...
2.48pm - To rather louder cheers, the City players head indoors! West Ham are a 14/1 shot with Bet 365 to win this afternoon, while the draw is an 8/1 shot, should you fancy a flutter!
2.45pm - You can view dozens of exclusive images in our Facebook Gallery by clicking on the link above, while Twitter is the home of plenty more imagery and Vine video content! The players are just completing their warm-up and heading back down the tunnel for their final instructions from Big Sam.
2.05pm - The team news is in! Just one change from Big Sam. Illness victim Guy Demel is absent, with Joey O'Brien coming in at right-back for his first appearance since suffering a dislocated shoulder in the goalless draw at Chelsea in January.
Manchester City name a very strong side, as you might expect, with Sergio Aguero returning to the forward line alongside Edin Dzeko. Their substitutes' bench commanded transfer fees totalling £133.2m on signing for City!
West Ham United: Adrian, O'Brien, McCartney, Reid, Tomkins, Taylor, Noble, Diame, Downing, Nolan (c), Carroll
Subs: Jaaskelainen, Armero, Collins, J.Cole, C.Cole, Jarvis, Vaz Te
Manchester City: Hart, Zabaleta, Kolarov, Kompany (c), Demichelis, Garcia, Toure, Silva, Nasri, Aguero, Dzeko
Subs: Pantilimon, Lescott, Clichy, Milner, Fernandinho, Negredo, Jovetic
1.35pm - Both squads have arrived at the Etihad Stadium ahead of today's game. Both look focused, yet unsurprisingly the Hammers look more relaxed than their hosts.
Good afternoon and welcome to the Etihad Stadium, where West Ham United take on title-chasing Manchester City on the final day of the 2013/14 Barclays Premier League season.
Put in simple terms, if West Ham do not win, City will lift the trophy after the game. If West Ham do win, then a home win for Liverpool over Newcastle United would see the trophy being lifted down the M62 at Anfield later this afternoon. Suffice to say, every Liverpool fan is supporting the Hammers today, as is very evident on social media!
It has been a wet and wild night and morning in Manchester, we are told, but the rain appears to have abated for now and we could be set fair for a dry afternoon. Whatever the weather, the Hammers are sure to need to ride out a storm if they are to shock the world and prevail. Of course, nothing is impossible in football - witness Carlos Tevez's goal a few miles away at Old Trafford in May 2007, which kept West Ham up against all the odds.
More recent history favours Manchester City, who have won all three meetings between the two clubs this season by a combined scoreline of 12-1. City, of course, won 3-1 at the Boleyn Ground in the reverse Barclays Premier League fixture and 9-0 on aggregate in the Capital One Cup semi-finals.
A win today would be West Ham's first in the league at the Etihad in eight attempts. The Hammers' only previous victory here came in the FA Cup sixth round in March 2006, when Dean Ashton scored both goals in a 2-0 success.
One statistic that will leave many City fans worrying is this - Andy Carroll has scored more goals (five) against them than any other Premier League club...
I can reveal that West Ham will be wearing their third shirt, which is black, this afternoon, along with sky blue shorts and socks. Manchester City, of course, will be in sky blue shirts, white shorts and socks.
Team news-wise, West Ham have just Italy forward Marco Borriello absent, so Sam Allardyce has a few selection headaches ahead of the final game of what has been a rollercoaster season.
For City, Manuel Pellegrini has also been boosted by the return of Argentina forward Sergio Aguero - the man who scored the last-gasp goal against QPR here that secured the title two seasons ago.
We will have the team news for you at 2pm! In the meantime, please keept sending us your tweets and photographs and enter our matchday #WHULINEUP and #WHUGOAL competitions on Twitter!