City survive fightback to move five points clear
SANE AND MAHREZ ON TARGET AS GUARDIOLA’S TEAM WIN AT WATFORD
Manchester City survived a late fightback from Watford to claim a 2-1 victory and move five points clear at the summit of the Premier League.
City’s match at Vicarage Road was their second of 13 in the space of just 44 days, and Guardiola made six changes from the team that won against Bournemouth on Saturday, with top scorer Raheem Sterling dropping to the bench.
The changes in personnel however, had little effect on Guardiola’s well-oiled machine, and only the brilliance of Ben Foster ensured City didn’t head into the interval with more than a oneNormal international who charged down on Foster’s goal.
Sane attempted a dink, but Foster stuck out his left glove, and turned the ball away for a corner.
Minutes later, Foster was called upon again, producing a fine treble save, first from Riyad Mahrez, then smothering Bernado Silva’s effort, before kicking the ball away from the feet of David Silva.
Foster then had to be on alert again to prevent Gabriel Jesus from beating him at his near post.
The hosts were firmly on the back foot, but after 32 minutes, a fine save from Ederson with bis legs denied Troy Deeney.
order was restored just eight minutes later, however, when Sane made the breakthrough.
Mahrez whipped the ball in from City’s right-hand side, and Foster saved from David Silva, but the ball fell to Mahrez again, and this time, the Algerian found Sane at the back post, who chested the ball past Foster, and into the back of the net.
Mahrez looked to have made sure of the points six minutes after the interval. Sane, Bernado Silva and Jesus were all involved on City’s left-hand side, with the latter finding Mahrez unmarked, and the former Leicester winger made no mistake with a cool finish.
City were in complete control, but to their credit, Watford did not give up, and Doucoure tested Ederson with 15 minutes remaining before scoring in the closing minutes.
Ederson saved at the feet of Andre Gray following a cross from Gerard Deulofeu, but Doucoure was on hand to get the ball over the line.
Watford went in search of what would have been the most unlikely of equalisers, but it was City who took the three points, and the league leaders will now bid to extend their winning run when they travel to Chelsea on Saturday evening.