City one win from the title

MANCHESTER City is just one win from being crowned English Premier League champion after a swaggering 3-1 victory over Everton, while Mohamed Salah was Liverpool’s hero yet again as the Egypt star clinched a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace yesterday.

Pep Guardiola’s side maintained a 16-point lead at the top thanks to a scintillating first-half display at Goodison Park. City can look forward to the delicious prospect of sealing the title when bitter rival Manchester United visits Eastlands this weekend.

Leroy Sane put City ahead yesterday with a sumptuous volley from David Silva’s pinpoint cross in the fourth minute. Gabriel Jesus increased City’s lead eight minutes later, the Brazil forward heading in from Kevin De Bruyne’s cross.

Thrashed 4-0 at Everton last season in one of the worst defeats of Guardiola’s glittering career, City underlined its vast improvement since then as Raheem Sterling finished off a ruthless counter-attack in the 37th minute.

Yannick Bolasie drilled home for Everton in the 63rd minute, but City’s club-record 13th away league win means it has 84 points with seven games still remaining.

“It was a huge victory,” Guardiola said. “We were clinical, especially in the first half.

“Now it is one more game and we will be champions.”

In rainy south London, Liverpool trailed when Luka Milivojevic drove struggling Palace into a 13th-minute lead from the penalty spot after Loris Karius fouled Wilfried Zaha.

But Senegal winger Sadio Mane levelled four minutes after the break with a closerange finish.

Salah, in the midst of an incredible debut season at Liverpool, proved the matchwinner as he smashed home in the 84th minute.