Merciless Man City in 8-0 Watford flogging

WITH his team leading 5-0 after 18 minutes and threatening Premier League scoring records, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola sat with his arms folded in his dugout and might even have looked a little guilty.

Whether it’s in the FA Cup final or just a run-of-the-mill league game, Watford just does not know how to handle the most free-scoring team in England.

City ended up romping to an 8-0 win, falling just short of the heaviest margin of victory in the Premier League era since 1992 — Man United’s 9-0 win over Ipswich in 1995.

It came four months after City beat Watford 6-0 in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium to complete an unprecedented domestic treble last season. The previous season, Guardiola’s team won 6-0 at Watford’s Vicarage Road.

“If you let five in in 20 minutes, you fear the worst. You think cricket scores,” Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster said after the club’s heaviest league loss in its 138-year history.

“They are without doubt the best team I have ever played against. We were poor, didn’t lay a glove on them, but at times it was breathtaking watching them.”

Bernardo Silva scored his first professional hat-trick and there were also goals for David Silva, Sergio Aguero, Riyad Mahrez, Nicolas Otamendi and Kevin De Bruyne at Etihad Stadium.

Meanwhile, Tottenham — on the good side of a tight VAR call in a 2-2 draw at Man City this season — was yesterday on the receiving end of one in a 2-1 loss against Leicester.

Tottenham was ahead courtesy of a first-half strike by Harry Kane when Serge Aurier drove a deflected shot into the bottom corner, seemingly giving the visitors a 2-0 lead at King Power stadium.

However, after a lengthy stoppage as the video assistant referee took a forensic look at whether Son Heung-min was offside by millimetres in the build-up, the goal was ruled out.

In Leicester’s next attack, Ricardo Pereira scored with a deflected finish to make it 1-1 in the 69th minute and James Maddison completed Leicester’s comeback by scoring from outside the area in the 85th.

“It’s what happens with VAR — you have to get your head round it,” Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers said.

Leicester moved up to third place on the table, just two points behind Man City.