Hammers fall to slick City

Petrov & Tevez: Saw City home

Man of the match: Martin Petrov showed the City fans what they have been missing during his time on the sidelines with a near faultless performance.

Goal of the match: Petrov's free-kick was well disguised and gave Robert Green no chance.

Save of the match: Robert Green was given little protection throughout and he needed to be at full stretch to keep out a dipping volley from Gareth Barry.

Moment of the match: Michael Johnson made a welcome return to action as a late substitute after more than a year out injured.

Talking point: City look like top four contenders, but can they challenge for the top prize?

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Carlos Tevez bagged a brace for Manchester City as they saw off his former employers West Ham 3-1 at Eastlands.

Martin Petrov was also on target for the Blues, while Carlton Cole notched for the Hammers, as Mark Hughes' side laid down an impressive marker in their pursuit of a top four finish in the Premier League.

City looked to be in imposing mood from the off and it came as no surprise when they opened the scoring inside five minutes.

The lively Petrov broke free down the left and his centre was rolled into an empty net by Tevez, who duly apologised to the away support huddled behind the goal.

City then allowed the Hammers a route back into the game after 24 minutes when, against the run of play, Cole flicked a Radoslav Kovac drive over the line from close range.

Mark Hughes' men upped the tempo again, though, and restored their advantage shortly after the half-hour mark when Petrov found the bottom corner with a well-struck free-kick which left Robert Green wrong-footed.

The Blues continued to control proceedings after the interval and Tevez duly added a third after 61 minutes when he was left all alone at the back post to plant a firm header past a stranded Green.

Mutual respect

After finding one set of former supporters no longer regard him with any affection at Old Trafford last week, Tevez knew he was on safer ground with the Hammers who, for all the controversy, will always be grateful for the goals that helped to keep them up in 2007.

The respect is mutual and as Tevez raced in front of them after scoring the opening goal, he raised an almost apologetic hand of acknowledgement before being besieged by ecstatic team-mates.

It was a pretty significant goal for Tevez given Sir Alex Ferguson's doubts over his goalscoring prowess, and Petrov's assist was arguably even more noteworthy.

Brought to the club two years ago by Sven-Goran Eriksson, the Bulgarian's direct running endeared him to the City faithful.

However, as other noteworthy Eriksson buys were doing little to impress Mark Hughes in his first season at the club, Petrov had little chance to impress once he had ruptured his cruciate on international duty.

Petrov felt he had no future at the club and made his disappointment plain when a deadline-day move to Tottenham failed to materialise.

Yet he remains a big danger and a worthwhile asset and was afforded his first start when Stephen Ireland was ruled out through illness.

Good fortune

He clearly intended to make the most of it and, after presenting Tevez with a tap-in following his forceful left-wing burst, was soon celebrating a goal too.

There may have been an element of good fortune about the free-kick City were awarded for Luis Jimenez's minor shove on Nigel de Jong, but the finish was pretty emphatic.

Petrov drilled it into the bottom corner before edging towards Hughes in his dug-out and pulling the back of his shirt to emphasise his name.

Had the goal been City's fourth or fifth, West Ham could not have complained.

Attack after attack washed over them, with Tevez, Petrov, strike partner Craig Bellamy and Joleon Lescott all going close.

Staggeringly though, Petrov had actually put City back in front for, on their first attack, the Hammers had equalised when Cole turned home Kovac's volley.

In fact, the Hammers would have been in front but for the generosity of referee Chris Foy, who ruled Cole had fouled Joleon Lescott before teeing up Scott Parker when contact had been very minimal.

Bad night

Gianfranco Zola did not need that to prove it was going to be another bad night for his team.

A simple offside manoeuvre proved beyond the Hammers defence when Bellamy floated over a free-kick just after the hour mark.

As the visitors raced out, three City men were left to queue up to score, Tevez nodding home from six yards.

It was the end of the goals, but not the chances.

Gareth Barry went close with a thunderous effort before Roque Santa Cruz made his debut after spending all the time since his £17million summer move from Blackburn recovering from knee surgery.

It was a move West Ham could only dream of. Indeed, neither Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool nor Manchester United could presently make such a show of strength.

Forget about giving City time. Their rivals have every reason to be worried right now.