Tevez torments Hammers

Manchester City's sublime start to the season continued with Carlos Tevez doing the damage in a 3-1 victory over his former club West Ham.

City's fifth win out of their opening six games represented their best start since 1961, but it is the here and now that Blues supporters are more interested in.

Two Tevez goals and a first-half free-kick from Martin Petrov scarcely did justice to their dominance. West Ham were totally outclassed, even though Carlton Cole did score an equaliser, and on this evidence they will not be the last as City seem to have found an irresistible mix of brilliant attacking play and solid defending.

Tevez opened the scoring from close range early on following good work down the left from Petrov, but the visitors pulled level with virtually their first attack as Cole turned home Radoslav Kovac's volley.

City responded well to the setback and continued to bombard the visitors goal with wave after wave of attack.

The impressive Petrov - who was making his first start of the season - then drilled home a free-kick from 20 yards following Luis Jimenez's push on Nigel de Jong, although the Hammers were unfortunate not to pull level once more when Scott Parker's strike was harshly disallowed for an apparent foul on Joleon Lescott.

However, City were certainly good value for their lead and Tevez wrapped up the three points when he headed home Craig Bellamy's free-kick just after the hour mark, with West Ham's defenders nowhere to be seen.

The visitors battled in vain to get back into the game, but City remained the dominant force and there was further good news for the hosts late on as summer signing Roque Santa Cruz was introduced for his debut.

Blues midfielder Michael Johnson also made a long-awaited return from injury as the game petered towards a predictable conclusion.

hhttp://www.whufc.com(West Ham's official website)