Both teams went into Sunday's league match chasing very different targets. Already champions, City want to break every record they can whilst West Ham are fighting to just survive.
Given the stakes on offer, one would think the hosts would come out all guns blazing but it would be Pep Guardiola's side who broke the deadlock in the 13th minute.
Leroy Sane picked up the ball just outside the box, deciding to have a crack on goal. His long-range effort took a wicked deflection off Patrice Evra, wrong-footing opposing goalkeeper Adrian and nestling into the bottom left-hand corner.
The goal did fire the 'Hammer's into life with Aaron Cresswell forcing a good save from Ederson who had to parry the ball out of the way of a poaching Mark Noble.
Nonetheless, City weathered the short tide and doubled their advantage on the 26-minute-mark thanks to some poor defending from the hosts.
Adrian and the West Ham defence failed to clear the ball on countless occasions allowing Kevin De Bruyne to fire it across the goalmouth and into the path of former defender Pablo Zabaleta who could do nothing else but bundle it into his own net.
Ironically, the goal brought up City's 100th in the Premier League this season, with Zabaleta also spending nine seasons in Manchester as a player, as they continued their domiance at the London Stadium.
April 29, 2018
It was a devasting blow for David Moyes and his players but they would mount a comeback shortly before the break, winning a free-kick on the edge of the box after Ikay Gundogan caught Emilson Fernandes late.
Aaron Cresswell stepped up to take the set-piece, whipping it over the wall and past Ederson at his near post to halve the champion's lead going into half-time.
The 'Hammers' couldn't maintain their momentum in the second half and City would restore their two-goal lead in the 53rd minute.
Gabriel Jesus started off the move, playing it on to Raheem Sterling down the right. The English forward held it up well, before feeding it back to his team-mate in the box.
Jesus charged onto the ball in the penalty area, avoiding the West Ham defenders to slot it past Adrian and bring up his 12th league goal of the season.
West Ham's miseries would be compounded ten minutes later when Fernandinho added a fourth, placing a pin-perfect through ball by Sterling into the back of the net to complete another City thrashing.
The 4-1 victory equalled a host of Premier League records for the champions. Not only have City scored 102 goals in a single league campaign but they have won 30 times overall, 15 coming away from home, as they look to break all three in their final fixtures against Huddersfield Town (H), Brighton (H) and Southampton (A).
As for the hosts, they remain three points ahead of the drop zone in 15th but with three games remaining, West Ham are flirting dangerously with relegation to the Championship.
April 29, 2018