Double trouble for title rivals SIMON

MANCHESTER CITY might not only have the best team in the country.

They could have the best TWO teams.

Pep Guardiola (above) complained during the week that the champions were in a state of emergency when he found his squad depleted by injury, illness and suspension.

But they moved back into familiar territory at the top of the Premier League last night as Raheem Sterling’s opener and Bernardo Silva’s double took them above Liverpool and Chelsea.

Jurgen Klopp has a better attack, Thomas Tuchel perhaps a superior defence.

But City’s strength in depth is such that they have had 17 different goalscorers in all competitions already this season.

They also have the joint most clean sheets.

Guardiola welcomed back Ilkay Gundogan, Jack Grealish, Phil Foden and Kyle Walker from injury at Vicarage Road. Aymeric Laporte returned from a ban.

Kevin De Bruyne loitered on the bench for 66 minutes after recovering from Covid.

John Stones, Riyad Mahrez and Gabriel Jesus were sat next to him also trying to keep the chill out.

At least they got a night’s entertainment.

Watford have taken some serious beatings at the hands of City during the Guardiola era.

They have now conceded 42 goals in 10 successive defeats, including a record 6-0 Wembley spanking in the FA Cup final.

This was another chastening night. Grealish should have scored a hat-trick. He could have had four or five.

And City had already missed a couple of takeable chances before Sterling put them ahead in the fourth minute.

Danny Rose had taken a tumble into an advertising board straining to halt one City attack, when Silva’s crossfield pass gave Foden time and space.

When he spotted Sterling arriving at the far post with Rose still struggling to get back, Watford were doomed.

The cross was perfect; a nod of Sterling’s head did the rest.

The Hornets did force Ederson into two smart saves at the other end, through the productive Emmanuel Dennis.

But City continued to pile up the chances – only to waste them.

Watford keeper Daniel Bachmann denied Grealish three times and also Silva and excelled to keep out Gundogan just after the half hour.

But when the rebound fell to Silva, he slipped past a challenge and fooled the Austrian by gazing towards the far corner and squeezing a shot in at the near post.

Watford did manage to get themselves on the front foot more after the break – and were rewarded with substitute Cucho Hernandez’s late strike.

But Bachmann was still busy, plunging to his left to beat out Sterling’s shot. Gundogan then blazed a shot over before Silva added another brilliant goal in the 63rd minute.

It wasn’t as good as his stunning volley at Aston Villa in midweek. But it still wasn’t bad.

Taking possession on the left, he cut inside to caress a shot into the top corner.

Silva has been described as “undroppable” by Guardiola after a summer spent asking for a move back to the continent for personal reasons.

If Harry

Kane was watching the wasted chances on TV he could be forgiven for wondering what might have been