Manchester City marches on, now 10 points clear
LONDON: The numbers are just getting bigger and bigger as Manchester City surges towards another English Premier League title with a 31 defeat of host Everton.
A 10point lead, a 12match winning run, seventeen straight victories in all competitions.
The Toffees were the latest team brushed aside by Pep Guardiola’s side, City opening up the biggest lead yet in the league this season.
Making the evening all the sweeter for Guardiola was the sight of star player Kevin De Bruyne back on the field in a brief cameo as a substitute after a month out injured.
Everything seems to be falling into place as City closes in on reclaiming the title from Liverpool.
City was being held 11 heading into the final half hour, after Everton forward Richarlison cancelled out the deflected opener by Phil Foden, when Riyad Mahrez conjured up the moment of the match at Goodison Park.
Cutting in from the right in the 63rd, Mahrez took aim from the edge of the area and curled a shot in off the far post to restore the visitors’ lead for good.
Bernardo Silva added the sealer in the 77th, with a nottoodissimilar effort as he drifted in from the right flank and sent in a shot that Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford got a hand on but couldn’t keep out.
City has won every match since it squeezed past Southampton 10 on December 19, a remarkable run that has come while its biggest title rivals, Liverpool and Manchester United, have started to drop away.
Guardiola was delighted with the mentality of his players.
‘‘When you win a lot of games everyone wants to beat you and it is tricky,’’ he said.
‘‘I have not seen that the team is thinking of the table . . . We are not here to defend our lead, it is all about three points, three points.
‘‘There are 42 points still to fight for, we are in the middle of February.
‘‘Now we rest for a few days, there are so many games.’’
United and Leicester are City’s nearest challengers, both 10 points back.
Everton is seventh, three points behind its sixthplaced Merseyside rival Liverpool.
Avoiding relegation is 18thplaced Fulham’s main goal after drawing 11 at Burnley to move to within six points of safety, with 14 games still to be played.
Fulham took the lead at Turf Moor through defender Ola Aina in the 49th but conceded to Ashley Barnes three minutes later.
The result left Burnley eight points clear of Fulham in 15th.