Marcelo’s refusing to get his title hopes up
MARCELO BIELSA kept his feet firmly on the ground after Patrick Bamford’s early goal kept Leeds on course for automatic promotion.
With Sheffield United having won their early kick-off against Rotherham, Bielsa’s men needed all three points at Ashton Gate to hold on to second place.
And the Leeds boss was more than satisfied with the way his side saw off play-off chasers City in a full-blooded encounter watched by a sell-out crowd of nearly 25,000, including 2,675 travelling fans.
He said: “It is a risk talking about being safe in the top three at this stage. There are so many tough games ahead.
“Bristol City are a difficult team to play. They have important players in attack and are strong in defence.
“In the first hour of the game we could have scored more but in the final 15 minutes our opponents could have got a draw.
“At the end they played lot of aerial balls into our box where the consequences of mistakes can be high.
“My team played with a lot of experience in that period when we couldn’t launch counter attacks. In the end it was a 50-50 game.”
The decisive goal came in the ninth minute, Bamford sliding to score from a header across goal by former City defender Luke Ayling and hurting himself when colliding with a post.
Bielsa waited until the second half to substitute Bamford and said: “He is such an important player.”
The home side did not create enough to deserve anything and dropped out of the Championship’s top six.
Head coach Lee Johnson said: “It was a horrible, scrappy game and Leeds did to us what we have done to a number of teams this season.
“I was disappointed with our quality in the first half, but you have give them some credit for that.
“Our substitutes had an effect with good cameo appearances but we have to be better collectively from the start of games.
“Our destiny is still in our own hands as far as the play-offs are concerned, which is important.” RAHEEM STERLING has already questioned whether Liverpool have got the bottle to win the title.
Last night at The Etihad, the Man City winger proved that he has definitely got what it takes to lift it again.
Sterling’s second-half hat-trick dispersed the tension hanging over the blue half of Manchester and cranked up the pressure on Jurgen Klopp’s stuttering side.
Pep Guardiola’s defending champions – who were 10 points adrift of Liverpool in late December – now lead the table by four points.
It means the Reds can afford no mistakes when they face Burnley in their game in hand today.
Sterling became Public Enemy No.1 on the Kop when he joined City for £50million in 2015.
But he has won the title and three League Cups while Liverpool’s long wait for a trophy has gone on and on.
A few weeks ago he recalled how Liverpool’s last title challenge ended up with them missing out to City after a devastating late collapse.
With this performance he has thrown down the gauntlet to his former club. For
46 minutes the champions were gripped by frustration as they struggled to break down Javier Gracia’s organised Hornets.
Then Sterling struck three times in
13 minutes to send his team clear. Watford – and Liverpool – will claim that the football gods smiled on Sterling when he opened the scoring two minutes into the second half with a controversial effort.
But there was nothing fortunate about the way he claimed the match ball before being given a standing ovation when he was replaced by Leroy Sane in the 65th minute.
The visitors made seven changes to the team that beat Leicester last weekend.
And it was clear that Gracia’s gameplan was to sit deep to frustrate City in the hope his team could use the pace of Andre Gray and Isaac Success on the break. That ploy would have needed a rethink had David Silva not glanced an early chance wide after Riyad Mahrez had floated a glorious cross into him.
Sergio Aguero should have put City ahead in the 29th minute when Bernardo Silva picked him out with a pinpoint inswinging cross from the right.
The Premier League’s 18-goal top scorer was unmarked six yards out but he sent his downward header skidding wide to leave Pep Guardiola clutching his head in disbelief.
City did not need long to go ahead after the break – but in hugely controversial circumstances.
Sterling was a yard offside when Aguero chested Ilkay Gundogan’s pass into his path. Watford defender Daryl Janmaat beat the City winger to the ball, but his attempted clearance cannoned off Sterling’s thigh and looped beyond Foster.
Assistant referee Adrian Homes flagged but after a consultation the goal was awarded.
“Everybody could see what happened,” said Watford boss Gracia.
“The game changed. We played a very good first half, defensively perfect, knowing we would have options in the second half and in that moment our plan changed and it was difficult for us. I think it is offside because when Aguero touches the ball Sterling is offside and he influences it by going to the ball.
“The linesman says it is offside but I do not criticise referees and I will not do it today.
“The officials have to explain their decision, not me. I said to him on the screen it was offside but they try to do their best and make the decision and we have to accept it.”
Before Watford could recover the ruthless Blues landed another blow in the 50th minute.
This time there was no doubt. David Silva’s pass sent Mahrez around the back and he bided his time before crossing for Sterling to walk the ball home at the far post.
Silva was instrumental in providing Sterling with his hat-trick.
The Spaniard’s pass inside Janmaat took the Dutchman out and Sterling cut inside to clip over Ben Foster.
Gracia brought on Troy Deeney and Gerard Deulofeu when Guardiola decided that Sterling’s work was done.
And the pair linked up within seconds, Deeney sending Deulofeu clear to beat Ederson with a smart finish.
City could have scored more goals, with substitute Gabriel Jesus blazing over.
But now it’s over to Liverpool.