Man City respond quickly to setback
Pep Guardiola was eager to discover how Manchester City would react to seeing their long winning run in the English Premier League come to an end.
A goal after 38 seconds - the quickest of the season - and a convincing 3-1 win over Watford yesterday was an emphatic response.
City ended their gruelling, four-match festive programme with a 15-point lead after 22 games and are showing no sign of wobbling as they close in on a first league title under Guardiola.
Monday’s 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace, which ended City’s record 18-match winning run, tested the character of Guardiola’s side.
However, the visit of out-ofform Watford to Etihad Stadium offered the perfect chance to bounce back.
Raheem Sterling gave City lead inside a minute - he has now scored the earliest and latest goals in the league this season - before Christian Kabasele’s own goal and a close-range finish from Sergio Aguero put City 3-1 up. Andre Gray grabbed an 82ndminute consolation goal for Watford.
‘‘We played really well,’' Guardiola said. ‘‘After dropping two points, we spoke about our reaction because big teams drop points, but not too much.’'
‘‘I think the team showed a lot of good things today. After two days, it means a lot for us.’'
Here’s what else happened yesterday:
Double for Carroll
Andy Carroll scored in the fourth minute of stoppage time as West Ham fought back to win 2-1 against West Bromwich Albion, whose winless run stretched to 20 games.
Carroll had already equalised,
cancelling out West Brom’s opener by James Mcclean, when he slid in to fire home Marko Arnautovic’s low cross.
West Ham moved a point above the relegation zone and five points above West Brom. Only three clubs have endured longer runs without a victory in the Premier League than West Brom: Derby (32), Sunderland (26) and Norwich (21).
Llorente’s return
Fernando Llorente’s first start for Tottenham came against his former club, Swansea. Almost inevitably, he scored.
The Spanish striker headed in the opening goal in Spurs’ 2-0 win that lifted them to fifth place, four points off fourth-place Liverpool with a game still in hand. Dele Alli added the second in the 89th minute at Liberty Stadium.
Llorente’s 15 goals last season were arguably the main reason why Swansea stayed up. He moved to Tottenham in the summer transfer window and has mostly had to settle for appearances as a substitute.
It was a third victory over the festive period for Tottenham.
Palace continue recovery
Without a point or a goal after seven games, Crystal Palace are in sight of mid-table in the Premier League after a 2-1 win at Southampton.
Palace came from behind at St. Mary’s Stadium, bouncing back from Shane Long’s first goal in 11 months with strikes by James mcarthur and Luka Milivojevic.
Palace moved up to 14th place, just three off 10th-place Watford, and are much improved under Roy Hodgson since he came in as manager after four games of the season. Southampton are out of the relegation zone only on goal difference.