Sterling at the double as City hammer Saints for six
MORATA GRABS A BRACE TO SEND CHELSEA SECOND ABOVE LIVERPOOL
Raheem Sterling scored twice fresh from agreeing a new five-year contract with Manchester City as the champions swept aside Southampton 6-1 yesterday to return to the top of the Premier League table.
Sergio Aguero, with his 150th league goal, David Silva and Leroy Sane were also on the mark as Pep Guardiola’s side continued their unbeaten start to their title defence.
Southampton had the minor consolation of becoming the first team in 630 minutes to score against City but the leaders’ form is ominous for the rest of the division.
City are scoring at a marginally faster rate than they did while racking up a record 106 goals last season, and they made a devastating start at the Etihad that finished the game as a contest within 18 minutes of kick-off.
Five minutes had gone when Aguero orchestrated an attack on the edge of the Southampton area, David Siva then moving the ball on to the overlapping Sane, whose cross was turned into his own goal by Saints’ Wesley Hoedt.
It took a further six minutes for City to double the lead, Bernardo Silva setting free Sterling on the right and the England forward selflessly squaring for Aguero to hammer in from close range.
Landmark goal
It was the Argentine’s 150th league goal for City, a landmark that moved him level with Michael Owen in eighth place on the Premier League’s all-time goalscoring list.
It appeared City were capable of scoring almost at will and a slick move saw them make it three in the 18th minute.
Again, Sterling was heavily involved, accepting Bernardo Silva’s pass and putting in a cross that was a little too high for Sane but arrived for David Silva, who volleyed in at the far post.
Southampton would pull one back after half an hour, becoming the first English team to score against City since Newcastle at the Etihad at the start of September.
However, there was never a hint that Southampton might be able to launch anything resembling a fightback and City ended the half as they had begun it — by scoring.
David Silva’s through ball appeared to be going out of play ■ ■ but Aguero showed impressive persistence to chase and pull it back for Sterling who, first miskicked but then shot past Saints goalkeeper Alex McCarthy from six yards. Southampton improved at the start of the second half, with James Ward-Prowse and Ings — via a wicked deflection off Fernandinho — forcing Ederson to make fine stops.
But City continued to threaten, and Sane almost made it five with a vicious left-foot shot from the edge of the area that struck the bar just after the hour. Sterling did in the 67th minute when he latched onto Aguero’s perfectlyweighted pass to score his second goal of the afternoon.
Sane completed an impressive individual and team display in stoppage time when he steered in a left-foot shot from 18 yards following another assist from Sterling.
Meanwhile, Alvaro Morata scored twice to take unbeaten Chelsea above Liverpool into second place in the Premier League behind Manchester City on Sunday, but Maurizio Sarri’s men made hard work of seeing off Crystal Palace 3-1. Morata has now scored four in his last four Premier League games after just two goals in his previous 20 domestic matches, and his return to form could be the final ingredient Sarri’s side need to mount a serious title challenge.
Arsenal were left still waiting for a first statement win of the Unai Emery era, but the progress made by the Spaniard in his first three months in charge was clear to see as Liverpool left the Emirates content with a point from Saturday’s thrilling 1-1 draw.
Despite a 14-game unbeaten run in all competitions, the Gunners remain four points off Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table and will end the weekend outside the top four courtesy of North London rivals’ Tottenham’s 3-2 win at Wolves.
City are scoring at a marginally faster rate than they did while racking up a record 106 goals last season, and they made a devastating start at the Etihad that finished the game as a contest within 18 minutes of kick-off.