Manchester City recorded an encouraging 4-1 win over West Ham United at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
A Vladimir Coufal own goal put the Cityzens on the right track early in the first half before Erling Haaland's simple header provided a much-needed buffer before the whistle.
Haaland then doubled his tally shortly after the start of the second half with a perfect shot, then Phil Foden scored three minutes later, before Niklas Volkrug scored an honorary goal for the visitors.
How the game unfolded
Man City They were looking for the perfect start to the new year and luck favored them as they raced to an early lead at Etihad Stadium. Mohamed Kuddous and Thomas Soucek wasted promising opportunities for the visitors before Savinho. Who played a starring role in last weekend's win over Leicester CityHe saw his cross deflected into the bottom corner from a helpless Coufal.
Although Man City took the lead in the 10th minute, that was it West Ham Which served the best of chances during the opening half hour. The Hammers started with pace and intensity on the counter-attack when the home side conceded possession, but failed to make the most of an encouraging flurry of attacks.
Bernardo Silva came close to punishing the team's waste in the 32nd minute after shooting the ball after a smooth move by Manchester City, but the short Portuguese had his low shot blocked by Alphonse Areola's outstretched foot.
The reigning Premier League champions were purring at the end of the first half and once again forced Areola to stretch as they went for the reassuring second goal. Rico Luis was given plenty of freedom when he collected the ball 25 yards from goal but the youngster saw his venomous effort pushed wide.
The hosts were eventually rewarded for their pressure before half-time Haaland She got on the scoresheet for the second straight outing. In an almost carbon copy of the Norwegian's goal against Leicester City last time out, he sent a firm header in at the far post after Savinho's exceptionally deep cross.
Any hopes of an inspired Hammers comeback were dashed ten minutes into the second half as Haaland got his brace. Once again, it was Savinho who made the effort, stepping forward and releasing the towering Manchester City striker, who pinpointed the onrushing Areola.
West Ham were the architect of their downfall as City quickly clinched fourth place. Kevin De Bruyne collected a loose pass from Kudos and passed the ball to Foden, who scored his second goal Premier League Goal of the season to add some polish to the result.
There would be no clean sheet for Manchester City as West Ham pulled one back through Volkrug, with the home side taking their foot off the gas in the closing stages. Lucas Paqueta also came close to scoring the second goal for the Hammers, but his shot went wide.
However, it didn't matter as Manchester City recorded an important win that saw them close the gap in the top four.
Check out the player ratings from the Manchester City vs. West Ham match here.
Manchester City's defensive issues have caught the eye over a torrid couple of months, but they have been extremely disappointing in the final third too. For a team that prides itself on attacking, free-flowing football, they have been worryingly honest in recent matches.
However, that was not an issue on Saturday. While Manchester City rarely exerted sustained pressure on West Ham's goal, they did create a host of clear-cut chances. Their link-up play was more assured and rapid, with confidence flowing after the win over Leicester.
They were clinical in crucial moments too, seizing their opportunities with impressive vigor. It looks like a potential turning point for a forward line that has long looked a shadow of its former self.
Savinho was the catalyst for Manchester City's first win in five games at the King Power Stadium, and the indefatigable Brazilian produced another decisive performance for the visit of West Ham.
The 20-year-old provided the brightest spark in a Manchester City attack that has struggled for creativity in recent matches and his prowess led to two goals in the first half. A quick run past Coufal and a piece of luck gave the home side some much-needed breathing room, while a brilliant cross from the far post provided Haaland with the simplest of headers to add cushion.
Savinho was once again the beating heart of Manchester City's third goal, as he used his pace to force the West Ham defenders back before playing a perfect through ball for Haaland. It was a devastating piece of play against an indifferent Hammers backline.
Man City's problems have been much talked about in wide areas this season, with the likes of Jack GrealishAnd Jeremy Doku and former Savinio are fooling around. But the latter provided the momentum and energy that helped City emerge from the crisis, and they quickly became a clinical force down the left flank.
Haaland still boasts just 25 touches against West Ham. He will simply never be a striker who engages in every phase of the game, putting the play together with one-touch passes. But he more than makes up for his shortcomings with an unparalleled, ruthless streak.
But that aspect of his game has been missing in recent weeks. His goal is against Leicester He was the first of five and even the clinical Norwegian was guilty of hijacking in promising moments. He made amends against unfortunate West Ham.
After scoring a header remarkably similar to the one he made against Leicester, Haaland then provided some trademark Haaland touches. He raced beyond the final line and pushed Konstantinos Mavropanos out of his way, sending in an excellent shot to add a third goal to the scoreline.
This has been the kind of sequence in which Haaland performs better than any other striker in world football, with buds of confidence beginning to emerge. That will be a major concern for centre-backs in the Premier League.
West Ham were not bad at the Etihad Stadium. They enjoyed some promising moments and could have taken the lead twice before Coufal's unlucky own goal. But the fight and energy quickly drained from the Londoners, who suffered another painful defeat.
And it was Hit for five by Liverpool Last time out, the Hammers gave up four in Manchester. Their defensive problems were exposed and the lack of strength and organization in defense proved costly. Eyes are naturally drawn to the manager.
It appears that Lopetegui has been on the verge of being sacked for the past six weeks. West Ham failed to improve significantly from their disappointing start to the season and suffered some humiliating losses to the big boys in the division.
Once again, Lopetegui was unable to come up with a game plan to put an out-of-form Manchester City under any significant pressure, while also failing to make his side intractable at the other end. Another sub-par display undoubtedly puts the Spaniard closer to the chopping block.