Man City 1 West Ham 1

West Ham started the game the stronger and opened the scoring as early as the seventh minute. The goal came when a Dunne clearance was intercepted by Noble who then passed to Ljungberg to the right of the City penalty area. Ljungberg passed to Cole, who received the ball with his back to the goal, seven yards out. Cole flicked the ball up and then scored with a spectacular overhead kick.

In the 16th minute Petrov crossed the ball into the West Ham area. Vassell was standing in an offside position as the ball arrived in the box, the ball bounced off Bianchi into Vassell's path and he poked the ball home form six yards. But the referee, not for the last time in the match, made a favourable decision on City's behalf, and allowed the goal.

West Ham then had the better of the rest of the half without really threatening the City goal.

West Ham continued to dominate the game in the second half and this time actually created a few goal scoring chances. Three minutes into the half Noble shot over from the right side of the penalty area 12 yards out. Two minutes later Ljungberg tried a shot from 20 yards out but his shot was blocked by Dunne.

In the 58th minute Ljungberg from the right wing passed to Mullins on the edge of the area and his shot was well saved by Hart at the expense of a corner. In the 68th minute Mullins had another shot from a little further out but the shot was deflected wide.

Man City in their frustration were forced into long free-kick attempts. In the 65th minute Elano tried a 35 yard effort which flew high and wide. Five minutes later Petrov tried a similar effort which was even further off target.

In the 73rd minute Faubert (on for Boa Morte) put the ball into the back of the net two yards out from a Neil cross. The referee disallowed the goal for a push by Bowyer on Dunne off the ball. In the 75th minute Faubert passed the ball from the left wing inside to Cole. Cole in the penalty area helped the ball on to an onrushing Noble and his stretched shot from six yards was straight at Harts' legs.

In the last ten minutes Ljungberg had two good chances. In the 82nd minute he cut inside from the left wing and his shot from 12 yards just missed wide of the left post. In the 88th minute Ljungberg drove into the box and from six yards fired into the side netting.

Seconds from the final whistle Faubert crossed into the box and Cole did well to win the header but his header was well saved by Hart in goal.

In the end the ref's decision to allow Vassell's offside goal and deny Faubert's cost West Ham dear. Phil Dowd cemented a very poor performance by booking Noble late on when the ref let City line up a wall seven yards from the ball. Noble paced out the ten yards (passing the City wall on his way) and Dowd rather than asking City to move the wall back booked Noble instead. Tit!