It was a frustrating start to the new campaign for David Moyes' men at London Stadium.

A sold-out, record 62,500 attendance saw Erling Haaland mark his Premier League debut for Manchester CIty with a double-barrelled blast that blew away the injury-hit Hammers.

City’s Norwegian new boy dusted himself down and fired City into an interval lead from the penalty-spot after substitute keeper Alphonse Areola had hauled him down in the Hammers area.

And midway through the second half, Haaland then sent out a warning to the rest of the league when he raced clear to score the decisive second goal that got the reigning champions off to the past possible start for 2022/23.

Despite spending some £100million during the summer, West Ham United came into the weekend’s big kick-off looking very much like the side that had finished last season at Brighton & Hove Albion.

Indeed, 10 of Moyes line-up had also started down on the south coast back in May and with Gianluca Scamacca still chasing match-fitness following his move from Sassuolo, the Scot opted to leave his towering, seven-times capped Italian striker on the bench alongside another recent arrival, Flynn Downes, and the now permanently-signed Areola.

There was to be no place in the squad, though, for Friday’s £17.5million capture from Burnley - Maxwel Cornet – while an ankle operation had already ruled-out £28m centre-back Nayef Aguerd, who sustained an injury in West Ham’s pre-season friendly at Rangers.

Certainly, with no Issa Diop, Angelo Ogbonna or Craig Dawson to call upon either, the Hammers boss was so bereft of central defenders that he had to partner full-back Ben Johnson with Kurt Zouma.

The home fans in that record crowd may well have been disappointed at the lack of new faces on display but they certainly did not show it during the early exchanges as Michail Antonio forced the first corner of a sun-scorched Stratford afternoon and, after Jarrod Bowen saw his point-blank shot blocked, the home striker then nodded inches over the top.

But that was about as good as it would get for West Ham as the champions went on to establish a firm foothold in midfield and cut off Antonio’s supply lines.

Unlike the frustrated Moyes, Pep Guardiola had not endured any serious selection problems and readily fielding his marquee summer-signing Haaland, the Spaniard saw skipper Kevin De Bruyne drag a low 15-yarder across the face of Lukasz Fabiański’s goal before Phil Foden pinged over a right-wing cross that was just an inch of two too high for Norway’s number nine.

Then, on 26 minutes, De Bruyne thought he had slid his side ahead but his delight soon turned to despair, when he saw a raised offside flag against Ilkay Gündogan, who had earlier collided with Fabiański inside the six-yard box.

Ironically, that knock to the Polish stopper would prove pivotal for he retired as the half-hour mark approached to be replaced by Areola, who soon found himself stranded and all alone as Haaland raced onto Gündogan’s well-weighted pass into the Hammers area.

Having been dragged down by the newly-arrived substitute keeper, Haaland duly picked himself up and clinically drilled the subsequent spot-kick inside the base of the left-hand upright as Areola headed in the opposite direction to give City their half-time lead.

Apart from seeing skipper Declan Rice blaze high over from distance, Moyes saw little to encourage him after the break and, on 55 minutes, he made a double switch with Scamacca and Saïd Benrahma receiving a rapturous reception as Manuel Lanzini and Antonio stood down.

After Gündogan skewed his angled shot across the face of Areola’s goal, Benrahma then forced Ederson into a low stop with a curling 15-yarder before the Algerian almost found fellow substitute Scamacca with a left-wing cross.

But the fillip of the arrival of those fresh legs proved short-lived as, midway through the second period, Rodri intercepted on the edge of his own area before finding De Bruyne on the halfway line and the Belgium playmaker invited Haaland to race clear, unchallenged.

Once again, Areola found himself helplessly exposed as his Norwegian nemesis took a stride into the Hammers area, where he coolly stroked a low 15-yarder beyond the outstretched right foot of the Hammers keeper to double both his tally and City’s advantage.

In response, Scamacca did at least show the East End that he will surely offer aerial power to the West Ham attack this season when he met Vladimír Coufal’s right-wing centre with a powerful header that Ederson gratefully gloved to safety.

At the other end - job done - two-goal Haaland was replaced by Julián Álvarez for the closing stages and it will not only be the Hammers defence, who will suffer at the feet of City’s match-winner this season as they now dust themselves down ahead of next Sunday’s trip to newly-promoted Nottingham Forest.

West Ham United: Fabiański (Areola 28), Johnson, Coufal, Cresswell, Zouma, Rice, Souček, Lanzini (Benrahma 56), Fornals (Coventry 90), Bowen (Downes 90), Antonio (Scamacca 56). Unused subs: Randolph, Vlašić, Oko-Flex, Ashby.

Man City: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Aké, Cancelo, Gündogan (Silva 77), De Bruyne (Palmer 88), Rodri (Phillips 88), Foden (Mahrez 88), Grealish, Haaland (Álvarez 77). Unused subs: Moreno, Stones, Lewis, Wilson-Esbrand. Booked: Cancelo (45)

Referee: Michael Oliver.