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Woeful Watford take a step nearer trapdoor as battle goes to wire

THE only consolation was that it could have been worse.

It usually is when Manchester City and, in particular, Raheem Sterling play Watford but this was still enough to plunge the Hornets deeper into trouble.

You can almost feel another Vicarage Road manager coming on. For a club that has sacked three bosses this season, you would not bet against it.

City’s four goals last night took their total to 18 in their past three meetings with Watford. Sterling has scored nine times in his last six games against them.

He is now on 19 Premier League goals – his best tally in a season – and 29 in all competitions.

Poor Watford caretaker boss Hayden

Mullins (right) should have known better than to take over a day before a visit by Pep Guardiola’s team.

Yet it honestly could have been far worse - double figures would really not be an exaggeration - but for goalkeeper Ben Foster, who compiled a catalogue of brilliant saves.

This should serve as a warning that those in charge cannot go on running Watford like this even if they survive a relegation fight which will go to the final day.

The club has lost its way. Owner Gino Pozzo got rid of Nigel Pearson after a fall-out, but effectively handed the reins to the players, who seem to talk a good game but surrendered all too easily.

There are certainly easier teams to face than City in this sort of mood but, equally, Watford were supposed to be fighting for their lives yet never looked like they were ready to roll up their sleeves and scrap to stay in the Premier League.

A few big characters in the Watford dressing room need to take a long hard look at themselves, and those at the club who indulge them need to realise the error of their ways.

Removing Pearson because a few players did not like his nononsense approach is, quite frankly, weak and pathetic. Especially when Watford play like this.

The only wonder was it took the visitors 31 minutes to score. Kyle Walker’s mis-hit cross dropped perfectly for Sterling, who had enough time and space to look up and smash the ball past Foster into the roof of the net.

City got a second after 40 minutes. Sterling tricked his way into the box, Will Hughes made a clumsy challenge, tripped him and gifted City a penalty.

Sterling smashed the spotkick down the middle and Foster made an incredible one-handed save, but the City forward followed up to tap home.

It got even more embarrassing in the second half. Gabriel Jesus went clean through and was denied by Foster, the Watford goalkeeper also making smart saves from Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne.

Watford’s Adrian Mariappa then clearly handled the ball in his own penalty area, but escaped punishment.

The third goal came just after the hour when Sterling’s shot was pushed away by Foster and the outstanding Phil Foden was there to tap in the rebound.

Four minutes later, it was number four.

De Bruyne floated in a freekick and Aymeric Laporte, on as a sub, was at the back post to head home.

Watford got a break deep into added time when Jesus had the ball in the net but was ruled offside.

When City play like this, it is difficult to understand how on earth they are such a distant second to champions Liverpool.

Sterling’s statistics are frighteningly good and put him in the world-class bracket, while Foden was brilliant and De Bruyne a joy to watch.

Watford were woeful, an embarrassment.

A penny for Nigel Pearson’s thoughts.