Rampant City go top, Crystal Palace make unwanted record
LONDON: Manchester City thumped Watford 6-0 to move top of the Premier League on Saturday as Crystal Palace suffered their fifth successive loss in a 1-0 defeat by Southampton.
With joint leaders Manchester United playing on Sunday, along with Chelsea, City took their opportunity to lay down a title marker with another attacking masterclass and go three points clear of their neighbours at the summit.
Sergio Aguero scored his 10th City hat-trick, with strike partner Gabriel Jesus, Nicolas Otamendi and Raheem Sterling also netting against previously unbeaten Watford.
“I was lucky to manage Barcelona with many outstanding performances but this week has been a lot of goals,” said manager Pep Guardiola.
“We have found our game, we can make short passes and we have a lot of energy from our fullbacks,” added the Spaniard.
PALACE STAY WINLESS, GOALLESS
Former England manager Roy Hodgson would have loved to call on some of that firepower at Selhurst Park as he began his latest job at Crystal Palace, who look serious candidates for relegation after suffering the worst start to a season by any side in English football’s top-flight history.
Steven Davis scored the only goal of the game after six minutes and Southampton, for whom Virgil van Dijk came on as a substitute to play his first game in eight months, survived the odd second-half scare to take all three points.