Manchester City will be top on Christmas Day if Arsenal fail to win at Everton in Saturday’s late game. Even if that does not happen, there is a forbidding relentlessness to City that should scare Arsenal as they seek to end the sequence of three consecutive runners-up finishes.

Erling Haaland scored twice and Tijjani Reijnders once as West Ham were swatted aside, losing to City for the seventh time in a row after conceding at least three goals in the past six meetings.

Pep Guardiola offered a mixed verdict. “I’m happy, we are fourth in the Champions League and semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, but the way we played with the ball, we have to improve. Otherwise, it will not be enough to arrive in March and April in contention to win titles.

“We did not do the right process to do what we have to do. There were many good things – I always have to thank Erling for the goals but thanks to him and Phil [Foden] and Nico O’Reilly – they helped us to do this type of game. Defensively, we are improving. We are visualising it with the ball.

“If they follow me, we will be there, but they have to improve. I know the level in Europe, I know Arsenal and other teams. The spirit is there – we didn’t have that last season – aggression, hunger, all the attributes that they need that are not about highlights. Hopefully Rodri is back [soon] but we cannot forget Jérémy [Doku] is not here, [Mateo] Kovacic, Omar Marmoush, Rayan [Aït-Nouri].”

There was also rare criticism for Bernardo Silva. Guardiola said: “Bernie is my weakness. He’s top, but today Bernie had to play better. Today I’m not happy with Bernie. He’s my weakness, my favourite one, but today I’m not happy with him. He knows exactly what we need to play better.”

Six straight wins in all competitions faced off against zero in five in the league. Factor in West Ham’s previous victory over the hosts being in September 2015 (2-1) and Nuno Espírito Santo’s team were seeking to bridge a 21-game gap to the club’s last triumph over City.

Inside five minutes, the task became harder. The constant passing of those in sky blue can be a torment, hammering away constantly before a knockout blow. This is how Haaland opened festivities. Constant possession wore down those in claret. Then Foden swapped passes with Nico González on the left and rolled the ball to the striker, who unloaded. Alphonse Areola beat the ball back to him and a thunderous right boot made no mistake.

West Ham were confined to an approach City often enforce on opponents: playing chase-ball and hoping to prosper from a counterattack. A Lucas Paquetá free-kick intended for Jarrod Bowen was misdirected, so Josko Gvardiol headed back toward Gianluigi Donnarumma, but it drew a clap from the forward for being the right idea.

So, too, was Rayan Cherki’s contribution for Reijnders goal. With John Travolta-esque feet he prised the Hammers apart and tapped the ball to Haaland in the area. He did the same to Reijnders a foot away and the Dutchman’s shot bulged the roof of the net.

Here was the sort of playmaking from Cherki that has impressed Guardiola of late, following the manager’s mix of praise and criticism earlier in the season.

An easy period for City ended with Guardiola putting his arms between his assistant, Pep Lijnders, and the officials, for who knows what reason. The manager was displeased, too, at the space allowed Mateus Fernandes to shoot from long range as the second half began, though he blazed high.

Guardiola’s unit slackening off led to a rollicking for Foden. Cut to Bowen rounding Donnarumma on the left and hitting the side-netting, then rolling wide, seconds after, from the other side, and the manager was vindicated.

On 65 minutes, a triple change that reaped an instant dividend. Cherki, González and Reijnders went off for Rico Lewis, Abdukodir Khusanov and Savinho. Done to jolt City, it worked – one more illustration of Guardiola’s cunning.

Savinho fed Lewis, who tapped the ball towards Haaland. After a mix-up involving Jean-Clair Todibo and Kyle Walker-Peters, he rifled his second home.

Crysencio Summerville forced a Donnarumma save and that was it for West Ham. There was still time for Haaland to narrowly miss a chance for the hat-trick. The contest ended with a third clean sheet in three league matches for City and the Hammers sitting third-bottom on 13 points.

“Of course, I’m concerned,” said Nuno. Asked how he would turn things round, he replied: “By insisting, by believing, and by working really hard on the training ground. Everybody has to be committed. The only way I know is to work harder and commit more.”