City open gap to pile the pressure on Liverpool
● Raheem Sterling’s hat-trick in Manchester City’s 3-1 win over Watford lifted the champions four points clear at the top of the Premier League and Tottenham Hotspur faltered again with a 2-1 loss at Southampton yesterday.
On a landmark day for England strikers, with Harry Kane scoring his 200th goal for clubs and country in Spurs’ defeat and Jamie Vardy notching his 100th and 101st for Leicester City in their 3-1 win over Fulham, Sterling took pride of place.
City took advantage of Sterling being given a contentious goal just after halftime before he struck a minute later and completed his treble in 13 minutes.
Gerard Deulofeu pulled one back within 17 seconds of being brought on as a substitute but Pep Guardiola’s men moved on to 74 points from 30 games, four clear of Liverpool, who host Burnley today.
Sterling’s opening goal was awarded after originally being ruled out for offside.
A discussion between referee Paul Tierney and his assistant saw the decision reversed. But there was no argument about the other two as Sterling made it 15 league goals for the season.
England captain Kane’s first-half milestone was eclipsed as third-placed Spurs squandered a lead in a game they were dominating, prompting criticism of his players by manager Mauricio Pochettino. On an unhappy return to his old St Mary’s stamping ground, Pochettino, serving the first of a two-match touchline ban, could hardly credit how his side capitulated to two late goals from Yan Valery and James Ward-Prowse.
Fellow strugglers Brighton & Hove Albion also had reason to cheer as a dazzling individual goal from Anthony Knockaert sealed their 2-1 win at fierce rivals Crystal Palace.
Cardiff’s win was not enough to take them out of the bottom three but they are only two points behind Burnley and Southampton (30). Brighton joined Palace on 33.
Newcastle pushed clear of the struggling pack into 13th with an astonishing comeback from two down at halftime to beat Everton 32, with a goal from Salomon Rondon and a late double from Ayoze Perez, that earned a fifth straight league win at St James’ Park.
There seems no hope for Fulham under caretaker manager Scott Parker, after their defeat at Leicester, whose own new boss Brendan Rodgers was grateful for Vardy’s late double.
It ensured the England striker became the first player to achieve a three-figure tally of goals for the Foxes since Gary Lineker.
Fulham are in 19th on 17 points with only Huddersfield below them after the Terriers remained three points further adrift with a 20 home defeat to Bournemouth.