Sterling shines as City march on

Manchester City displayed ruthless efficiency yesterday to raise more questions over who can stop Pep Guardiola’s team powering to a second straight English Premier League crown.

Raheem Sterling scored twice and goal-poacher Sergio Agüero was also on target as City marched back to the top of the standings with a 6-1 victory against Southampton at the Etihad Stadium.

Guardiola’s players punished almost every mistake made in the opening stages by a beleaguered Southampton side as they led 3-0 after just 18 minutes.

The visitors pulled one back with a penalty, but it proved a minor setback for City, which again dominated Southampton in the second half.

“I thought it was a great team performance,” Sterling said. “We were brilliant at times today. It is great times at the moment.”

In Sunday’s other game, secondplace Chelsea breezed past Crystal Palace 3-1 at Stamford Bridge.

Alvaro Morata continued his recent resurgence with two goals, and fellow Spaniard Pedro added a third as Chelsea proved too strong for Roy Hodgson’s Palace.

Unbeaten Chelsea made a slow start, but Morata cheered the Stamford Bridge crowd by putting his side in front from close range in the 32nd after pouncing on a cross by Pedro.

Palace, beaten in their previous five league matches, levelled early in the second half when James McArthur sent Andros Townsend racing clear and he slammed a ferocious right-foot shot into the net.

Chelsea reacted by bringing on dangerman Eden Hazard and Mateo Kovacic for Willian and Ross Barkley, and within minutes, the home team was back in front.

Hazard took a free kick on the right, and the ball eluded several players in the penalty box before reaching the unmarked Morata at the back post, and he struck his fourth goal in his last four league games. Pedro added the third goal from a left-wing cross by another Spaniard, Marcos Alonso, in the 72nd as Chelsea moved on to the same points tally as Liverpool, two behind City.

“We were a little bit in trouble, so we needed some quality and personality,” Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri said of his decision to bring on Hazard as a substitute. “We were lucky because we had Eden on the bench. He was able to immediately

change the match.”