MANCHESTER City picked up their first win of the new season with a comprehensive victory over 10-man West Ham.

Daniel Sturridge and Elano (two) scored for City who were on top for most of the game, but the the Blues lost Micah Richards to a nasty looking injury in the second half.

Mark Noble was red carded for two bookable offences in the first half, and the pressure finally told on West Ham after the break. Vincent Kompany made an assured debut and slotted in at centre back after Richards went off.

The Blues were everything that they were not in their previous home game against FC Midtjylland.

West Ham’s bubbles were well and truly burst by a City side that could easily have won by a panful.

In addition to a trio of sweet strikes by teenager Sturridge and Elano the Blues hit the bar and the post and were denied a penalty so obvious that referee Howard Webb might have a red face for the rest of the season.

Victory though didn’t come without cost for the home side who lost Richards with concussion and a neck injury and Kelvin Etuhu with a pulled hamstring.

Not that ushering players into the busy treatment room is anything new for these two sides.

Holby City and Harley Street have nothing on City and the Hammers whose joint injury lists could supply several episodes of a medical soap drama with material.

Crocked

Home boss Mark Hughes was without such crocked luminaries as Darius Vassell, Valeri Bojinov, Nedum Onuoha and Benjani whilst the Hammers equally overworked physio’s own waiting list included the likes of Craig Bellamy, Kieron Dyer, George McCartney, and James Collins.

While the owner Thaksin Shinawatra and executive chairman Garry Cook cheerily sat together in the directors’ box perhaps mulling over some ‘aggressive long-term marketing strategy goals’ it was the variety that hit the back of the net that most pleased others in attendance at Eastlands.

And it was done with a formation not dissimilar to the 4-4-1-1 that Sven-Groan Eriksson operated last season.

Belgian international Kompany – what a pity he wasn’t given the number two shirt so every ground announcer in the Premier League could become a temporary comedian (two's Kompany etc.!) – was introduced at the heart of the Blues midfield in place of Gelson Fernandes as Hughes stuck with the system employed in the opening day defeat at Villa.

The other tweaks were swapping Michael Ball for Javier Garrido, Stevie Ireland for Kelvin Etuhu and Danny Sturridge in place of Ched Evans as the spearhead. All of them proved inspired choices.

Nevertheless it is a formation that splits City fans into distinct camps with former boss Eriksson both praised a criticised for playing a lone striker all last season especially at home where goals were in short supply, particularly after Christmas.

Operating with the majority of Eriksson’s squad, Hughes has quickly discovered that the players at his disposal are most suited to that slightly defensive set up.

Elano for instance has been tried in central midfield, on the right wing and even as a full back when the evidence irrefutably and over-whelmingly points to the fact that he is only ever seen to best effect in the free space behind a single striker.

If the billiant Brazilian, who has performed well so far this season, is to play then the manager has little choice but to name four other midfielders especially as the problem right wing slot had not - until Stevie Ireland’s superb performance - been properly filled.

The downside is that the system makes the Blues slightly one-dimensional and imbalanced with Martin Petrov asked to shoulder a whacking burden of creativity.

At least Kompany’s assured, elegant presence as a holding player gives Michael Johnson the license to roam forward with more confidence and their partnership – should Johnson’s contract demands ever be met to his satisfaction – could be one that significantly improves the Blues.

Prominent

Kompany was certainly prominent on his debut showing a likable tendency to be in the right place at exactly the right time and then being able to distribute the ball in a manner that spelled danger to the opposition.

His prompting put the Blues in the ascendancy and they were unlucky not to be in front in the 12th minute when first Ireland saw his delicate chip cleared off the line by Calum Davenport and then Tal Ben Haim’s follow up was deflected against the bar.

The home side came even closer in the 21st minute when Petrov curled a wickedly bending free kick against the post and though they struggled to make the breakthrough they were helped in the 37th minute when Mark Noble was sent off for his second bad foul in four minutes first on Kompany and then Johnson.

Both were deemed yellow card offences by ref Webb who blotted his copybook in City’s next attack when he and his assistant failed to spot the most blatant of handballs by Lucas Neill.

The home side’s irresistible rhythm was disrupted in the opening moments of the second half when Ben Haim and Richards converged on the same ball and Richards went down in a heap his injured neck needing a brace.

It was fitting then that his fretting best mate in the side Daniel Sturridge should fire in the opening goal with a sweet left foot drive after Matthew Upson failed to deal with Petrov’s 64th minute cross.

Five minutes later Elano sealed the deal with a neat turn and conversion from Ireland’s cross and Hughes wiped an imaginary bead of sweat from his brow.

The manager was smiling even more broadly in the 76th minute when Elano swept in his second and the side’s third courtesy of another Ireland pass after a one-two with Vedran Corluka.

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