City top as De Bruyne and Sane strike

Kevin De Bruyne and Leroy Sane struck as Manchester City returned to the top of the Premier League with a 2-0 win over relegationthreatened Cardiff.

The quadruple-chasing champions were hardly tested by their lacklustre visitors and eased to victory with goals early and late in the first half.

The result lifted Pep Guardiola’s side a point above Liverpool with both teams having six games to play. Cardiff’s situation, by contrast, is perilous.

The Bluebirds are five points adrift of safety with no games in hand. Neil Warnock’s men were unable to rouse themselves again after their battling – and controversial – loss to Chelsea at the weekend, even against a City side showing seven changes.

City took the lead after six minutes when Aymeric Laporte played in De Bruyne and the Belgian brilliantly fired home from a tight angle, with keeper Neil Etheridge’s positioning questionable.

City’s only setback came when Oleksandr Zinchenko was forced off with a hamstring injury.

City doubled their lead just before half-time. Jesus chested down from a corner and Sane struck a firm shot across goal into the bottom corner.

● Callum Hudson-odoi marked his full Premier League debut by sparking Chelsea’s 3-0 rout of Brighton.

The 18-year-old laid the opening goal on a plate for Olivier Giroud before Eden Hazard and Ruben Loftus-cheek also netted at Stamford Bridge.

The victory pushed Chelsea above Manchester United into fifth place, but one point off Tottenham in third.