De Bruyne And Guardiola Commend Savinho's Performance In Manchester City's Win Over West Ham

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Kevin De Bruyne and Pep Guardiola praised Savinho's outstanding performance in Manchester City's 4-1 victory over West Ham. This win marked their first consecutive Premier League victories since October, kicking off 2025 positively at the Etihad Stadium. Savinho's cross, deflected by Vladimir Coufal, opened the scoring, and he later assisted Erling Haaland twice. Four of Savinho's five assists this season have been for Haaland.

De Bruyne celebrated his 400th appearance for City by assisting Phil Foden after a defensive error from West Ham. Despite a challenging start to the season with six losses in 20 games, City remains sixth in the Premier League, two points behind Chelsea. De Bruyne believes his team is gradually regaining form, noting improvements in their recent performances.

Guardiola acknowledged the team's struggles but remained optimistic about their recent wins. "We accelerate everything," he said, highlighting the team's work ethic and glimpses of brilliance. He admitted they are not yet back to their best due to injuries but sees the victories as a positive step forward.

West Ham has conceded nine goals in their last two league matches, including a 5-0 loss to Liverpool. Saturday's defeat was their sixth by three or more goals this season, leaving them 13th in the table. Tomas Soucek missed a crucial chance in the first half, while Lucas Paqueta and Mohammed Kudus also came close.

Julen Lopetegui's side ended with an expected goals (xG) total of 1.19 from 17 shots but lacked Jarrod Bowen's clinical presence due to injury. Soucek expressed disappointment over missed opportunities against City, stating they had chances but failed to capitalize on them.

Savinho's Impact

Savinho created more chances (three) and completed more dribbles (two) than any other City player during the match. His contributions earned praise from both De Bruyne and Guardiola. "He started really well this season," De Bruyne told BBC Match of the Day, acknowledging Savinho's exceptional qualities and confidence.

Guardiola added that Savinho was one of the few players who remained fresh despite recent struggles. "The work ethic was unbelievable," he noted, emphasizing the player's potential to make a difference for City.

Despite West Ham's efforts, they couldn't overcome City's dominance at home. Soucek lamented missed chances and emphasized the need to improve defensively. "We showed more with the ball today," he told Sky Sports, urging his team to focus on securing points moving forward.