Guardiola is an exceptional master of difficult tasks.
His standards are exacting and he led City forward when they were in the midst of the long winning streak that was the hallmark of his incredibly successful eight and a half seasons at the club.
However, the soul searching over the last few weeks has been so intense, it looked as if a comfortable win – even if West Ham had some good chances – was something worth celebrating.
While Guardiola rejected this theory, he was more expansive regarding Brazilian winger Savinho.
Following his £30m arrival from fellow City Football Group club Troyes last summer, the 20-year-old has endured an inconsistent first season.
However, West Ham were unable to cope with his immediate run. It was Savinho's cross that Coufal turned into his own net and Haaland scored another with a header in the second goal.
Savinho also provided the through ball that Haaland finished for City's third goal, prompting praise from Guardiola.
He said: “Having the left foot on the left side, like old football, the right on the right, and the left on the left, and this type of cross helps the striker we have.”
“He has a lot to improve. He's not aggressive enough without the ball and is a little soft in many departments. But now he has something special and great that helps the team a lot.”