QUICK-FIRE City BACK In THE Groove, Llorente fires Spurs

LONDON: Raheem Sterling scored the fastest goal of the Premier League season as leaders Manchester City got back on track with a 3-1 win against Watford, while Fernando Llorente put Tottenham on course for a 2-0 victory at his former club Swansea.

Sterling struck after just 38 seconds before Christian Kabasele’s first-half own goal put Pep Guardiola’s side in control at Eastlands.

Sergio Aguero made it three as City gave the perfect response after their 18-game winning run was ended in a goalless draw at Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Unbeaten City are 15 points clear of second-placed Manchester United as they continue to turn the title race into a lengthy coronation party.

Guardiola had complained that the hectic festive fixture schedule was a “disaster” after City striker Gabriel Jesus suffered a knee ligament injury at Palace.

But Guardiola was able to replace the Brazilian with Sergio Aguero, while David Silva returned from a two-game absence.

City, playing their fourth match in 11 days, were ahead inside a minute as Sterling met Leroy Sane’s cross with a near-post finish for his 18th goal this season.having won 6-0 at Watford in September, City looked on course for another rout in the 13th minute when Watford’s Kabasele sliced an attempted clearance into his own net from Kevin De Bruyne’s cross.

Yet they had to wait 50 minutes to score again as Argentine forward Aguero netted from close-range for his 16th goal of the season. Andre Gray’s 82nd minute goal for Watford came way too late to avoid a sixth defeat in their last seven league matches. SHENZHEN: World No 1 Simona Halep came from a set down to overcome China’s Duan Yingying 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, reaching the quarterfinals of the Shenzhen Open tennis tournament here on Wednesday.

Halep broke Duan five times in the second and third sets after failing to have a break point in her opponent’s first five service games, reports Xinhua news agency.

“I think she played really well in the first set. I think she got a little bit tired and also had the problem with her leg. It was not easy for her to move,” Halep said. Halep will face Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus, who beat Montenegrin qualifier Danka Konvinic 6-1, 6-0 to reach the last eight stage.

Fourth seed Irina-camelia Begu also came from a set down to defeat Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2. Kristyna Pliskova from Czech Republic edged out Romanian Ana Bogdan, 6-4, 7-6(3).