Late Silva goal extends City’s winning run to 13 games

LONDON: David Silva scored a late goal as runaway leaders Manchester City won their 13th successive Premier League game and restored their eight-point lead with a 2-1 victory against West Ham United on Sunday.
Silva converted Kevin de Bruyne’s brilliant pass from close range in the 83rd minute as City maintained their blistering form this season.Nicolas Otamendi had converted substitute Gabriel Jesus’s cross in the 57th minute to equalise after defender Angelo Ogbonna had headed West Ham into the most unlikely lead at the end of a first half in which the hosts dominated.
In winning their 13th successive Premier League match, City equalled the record held by both Arsenal and Chelsea.After rivals United beat Arsenal 3-1 on Saturday to cut their lead to five points, City needed to win against relegation-threatened West Ham to restore their comfortable lead ahead of next weekend’s trip to Old Trafford.
As expected, City dominated possession but the mass ranks of West Ham defenders frustrated their array of attacking players and disrupted the rhythm of their intricate, threaded passes.It was West Ham who came closest to opening the scoring when Michail Antonio stretched to fire a close-range volley over the top.Manuel Lanzini drew a save from Ederson before out-of-sorts City failed to deal with a corner with Ogbonna’s downward header evading Ederson.Otamendi restored parity shortly after the break but, until Silva’s late intervention, it appeared that City’s search for a winner would prove fruitless.