City cruise past West Ham thanks to Tevez & Bellamy

Manchester City 3 West Ham 1. Two former Hammers stars combined for Manchester City last night as they strolled past West Ham at the Eastlands stadium last night to record their fifth victory in six Premier League games.

Carlos Tevez registered his first two goals for the Mancunians, and displayed a sense of decorum towards the side that had first brought his talents to the Premier League, seemingly raising his hands to the visiting fans to apologise after netting his first, shooting into the top right of Robert Green's net after just five minutes.

Meanwhile the pugnacious Welshman Craig Bellamy, who set up Tevez for his second, a well-placed header from an exquisitely delivered free kick, was at his most devilish, tormenting his former employers with his passion and energy.

Not that West Ham were without their chances. They levelled soon after Tevez's opener when a poor Joleon Lescott clearance from an Alessandro Diamanti free kick went only as far as Radoslav Kovac, whose ball back into the box was met sharply and steered past Shay Given by Carlton Cole.

City soon restored their advantage when a Martin Petrov free kick bamboozled Green in the Hammers goal on the half hour mark. Between that and the final goal 30 minutes later, Tevez should have had a hat-trick and Bellamy continued to pull the Londoners apart.

Manchester City are the 30-year-old Bellamy's eighth club, and he looks to be playing the best football of his career under the one manager, Mark Hughes, who has been able to direct his talents fully. "This is, without a doubt, the best team I've ever played in," the Welshman said last night.

"We wanted to press as high as we could. We got the first goal, which helps in a Premier League game, but conceded a soft equaliser which made it difficult," he continued. "West Ham are a good team. They are very bright, good with the one-twos, and they keep the ball flowing." ·