City thrashes its way clear
MANCHESTER City opened up a two-point lead over Manchester United at the top of the Premier League with another display of scintillating brilliance in a 7-2 thrashing of Stoke City at Etihad Stadium.
After the high-noon showdown between Liverpool and a United side lacking in any great ambition ended in goalless stalemate at Anfield, City cashed in with a third straight league match at Etihad in which it has struck at least five goals.
Pep Guardiola’s men became the first team to net 29 goals in their first eight league games of a top-flight campaign in England since Everton in 1894 as some of their main title challengers faltered.
The sixth consecutive league win moved City to 22 points with United on 20 and Tottenham staying third on 17 after finally earning its first home win at Wembley, 1-0 over Bournemouth with a Christian Eriksen goal.
Sensation of the day came at Selhurst Park where Crystal Palace, hitherto without a goal or point to its name, downed champion Chelsea 2-1 with Wilfried Zaha, returning from injury, scoring a fine winner just before the break.
Arsenal was surprisingly toppled too as Watford came from behind to snatch a 2-1 win with a 71st-minute penalty from Troy Deeney and a stoppage-time strike from Tom Cleverley, which lifted the Hornets to the giddy heights of fourth on 15 points.
The shock defeats left fifthplaced Chelsea and Arsenal both nine points behind leader City, whose current brand of kaleidoscopic football makes it favourite to regain the title it last won in 2014.
Gabriel Jesus, with a brace, Raheem Sterling, David Silva, Fernandinho, Leroy Sane and Bernardo Silva all found the target in the demolition of Stoke, with the side now looking like a proper Guardiola creation.
“We didn’t lose easy balls, we play fast and simple. That’s why I am very pleased. It is the best performance since I am here,” Guardiola told the BBC.
City’s dazzle was in stark contrast to its neighbour’s safety-first approach in the underwhelming Anfield game during which the only Manchester United highlight was David de Gea’s great save to deny Joel Matip.
Liverpool, despite being much the better side, was blunt in attack, failing to convert any of its 19 attempts on goal.
“Manchester United came here for a point and got it,” said Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp with a sigh.
Not that United’s manager, José Mourinho, would entertain the idea of it having been a bit of an anti-climactic affair.
“It depends on what is an entertaining game,” Mourinho said.
“One thing is an entertaining game for fans, another thing is an entertaining game for people who read football in a different way.
“For me, the second half was a bit of chess but my opponent didn’t open the door for me to win the game.”
West Ham and Burnley drew 1-1 while Swansea City forged clear of the relegation zone with only its second league win of the season, a 2-0 victory over Socceroo Aaron Mooy’s Huddersfield Town.