Bilic seeking killer punch
RAHEEM STERLING became Manchester City’s second-highest Premier League goalscorer as Pep Guardiola’s men made mathematically sure of runners-up spot.
Sterling’s 63rd league goal for the club moved him ahead of Yaya Toure in the pecking order – and he then bagged his 64th and 65th for good measure.
It is an impressive haul for a player who operates out wide. It is also proof of his sheer class.
Sterling’s first was a sweet finish from 20 yards that he bent low past Matty Ryan in Brighton’s goal.
From the moment it hit the back of the net, Brighton never looked like getting back into the game, either.
His second, from a Riyad Mahrez cross showed his great hunger to get on the end of it and head home.
The third had a good deal of fortune about it as it hit his head and bobbled over the line as Dan Burn tried in vain to clear.
Those goals took Sterling’s total for the season to 27 in all competitions – his best return since joining City.
And he has reached that figure despite a 12-game drought in the middle of it.
In between Sterling’s two strikes, Gabriel Jesus stabbed home from close range after
Rodri headed down Kevin De Bruyne’s cross.
And following his second, Bernardo Silva got his name on the scoresheet after Ryan had spilled his initial effort and Jesus had worked it back into his path.to a man, Guardiola’s team were on it and as they prepare for tomorrow’s Champions League ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, this performance bore
BOSS Gary Rowett urged Millwall to quickly rediscover home form after breathing new life into their play-off bid.
Ryan Leonard’s early strike sealed victory – and the Lions’ last four victories have all come on the road.
Rowett said: “This was a big win, a real war of attrition and the challenge now is to try to dig out that win at home.
“Without our fans there to all the hallmarks of a team with a point to prove.
Brighton should be fine despite being mathematically in the relegation battle. It’s a good job for them that there are several clubs even worse than them at the bottom.
City started to take control of the game with 15 minutes on the clock as Benjamin Mendy’s shot deflected wide off Martin Montoya.
Eric Garcia then got the faintest of touches on Mahrez’s corner and the ball drifted wide when even a little more contact would have given Ryan all sorts of problems.
Mahrez was excellent and his sweeping ball forward to back us it’s a big disadvantage but we’d have to try.”
Hull are in the bottom three with crucial games against relegation rivals Wigan and Luton in the next seven days.
Boss Grant Mccann said: “We know what we need to do to stay in this division and I believe we’ll do it.”
Jesus was headed back into Sterling’s path for a cracking finish.
Brighton chances were few and far between as City plundered through them.
It might have been more as well but De Bruyne’s cracking freekick hit the outside of the post.
It didn’t matter.the job was already well done by then.
SLAVEN BILIC called on West Brom to be more ruthless after they stumbled in the race for automatic promotion.
The Baggies’ advantage over in-form Brentford was cut to three points after Blackburn substitute Joe Rothwell cancelled out Filip Krovinovic’s first-half strike for the visitors.
“In the second half we created so many chances,” said West Brom boss Bilic. “If you don’t score them, there is always a possibility against a team of this quality that you can concede.
“We just have to score goals, we have to kill the game off. Unfortunately today we didn’t.”
Blackburn are 12th and four points off the play-off spots with three games to go but boss Tony Mowbray is refusing to throw in the towel.
He said: “We have to win them all. Let’s just keep going.”