Even on those rare occasions when it looks like they might make a mistake, Manchester City can always draw strength from the possibility that Erling Haaland will display the undeniable ruthlessness that made all the difference in this victory over a recalcitrant West Ham.

Fear not. After looking under-sharp at the end of last season, Haaland is back in full force. Another hat-trick after last week’s demolition of Ipswich took the striker to seven goals in the opening three games. It ensured that at times dangerously alive City maintained their perfect start on a night when West Ham showed that Julen Lopetegui’s attempts to play a more expansive style will pay off in the long run.

If it wasn’t a perfect performance from City, for whom Jack Grealish looked reborn on the left wing, it was still enough to move them two points clear of Arsenal. Pep Guardiola will be demanding improvement without the ball, while also knowing his team could have won by a bigger margin.

The general consensus is that the best way to play City is to deny them space and hit them with swift counter-attacks. It was intriguing, then, to see West Ham go the other way from the first whistle, placating neutrals with a gung-ho approach that meant they added to the entertainment level both through their attacking play and their curious reluctance to let anyone mark Haaland.

Six minutes later, City were relieved not to be behind after Ederson made a save from Jarrod Bowen and Josko Gvardiol saved a tap-in from Michail Antonio. There was a warning, however, when Haaland, offering no resistance, headed over from close range after Bernardo Silva and Grealish had sliced ​​West Ham open down the left.

With their creative talents given too much freedom, the visitors took the lead four minutes later. West Ham had only just survived another Kevin De Bruyne attack when Lucas Paquetá misplaced Emerson Palmieri’s heavy pass just outside the penalty area, allowing Silva to slip inside and send Haaland on to curl a contemptuous finish past Alphonse Areola.

After Arsenal’s draw with Brighton earlier in the day, City threatened to erase all memory of West Ham in the next few minutes. Grealish, starting for the first time since April and in high spirits after his return to England, came close. Areola saved a daring effort from De Bruyne, who soon saw another shot hit the woodwork.

Relieved to be only 1-0 down, West Ham struck out of nowhere. Bowen darted down the right, slid past Gvardiol and delivered a low cross that was unlikely to go anywhere until Rúben Dias curled the ball into his own net.

There was no striker behind Dias, so perhaps City were dozing off. In reality, they were a class above in every way. Mateo Kovacic kept threading passes through West Ham’s midfielders Edson Álvarez and Guido Rodríguez, who didn’t know how to deal with the constant movement around them.

A second goal came. Grealish moved away from Aaron Wan-Bissaka on the half-hour mark before a fine exchange between Silva, Kovacic and Rico Lewis gave Haaland space down the right. Emerson was slow to react, but the striker fired a rocket past Areola.

Somehow West Ham held on, defending with enough heart to give themselves a chance. Mohammed Kudus could have scored before half-time and the winger looked certain of an equaliser in the 52nd minute, but hit the post after latching onto Bowen’s brilliant pass.

There was a change in mood, a sense that West Ham had renewed faith. Wan-Bissaka was rummaging forward from right-back and City were under sustained air pressure. Ederson flew out of his penalty area to head a ball away and Bowen saw a shot blocked. Grealish flicked again, allowing Silva to fire straight at Lukasz Fabianski, who had replaced the injured Areola at half-time.

Needing more control, Guardiola brought on Ilkay Gündogan for Jérémy Doku and Matheus Nunes for Grealish. West Ham responded with Niclas Füllkrug and Tomas Soucek, who fired a decent chance wide.

West Ham might have picked up more points against lesser opponents, but a second successive home defeat in the league was more palatable, as it came at the hands of City’s goalscoring machine.

The game was over when Nunes glided through the tired midfield and sent Haaland through to Fabianski.