FEEL THE FOUR-CE!
West Ham ...... 0 Man City ...... 4 Another solid-gold performance from Silva as Pep men march on
MANCHESTER CITY may have shattered a fistful of Premier League records on the way to the title last season.
But Pep Guardiola’s side are already threatening to raise the bar by another couple of notches.
Unbeaten after 13 games, City remain two points clear at the top.
Bettering the 100-point total they set in May looks a real possibility.
They have hit the net 40 times, have a positive goal difference of 35 and the new standards they set in two those columns definitely look likely to fall.
But after seeing Leroy Sane score twice after two early strikes by David Silva and Raheem Sterling, the City boss believes it is the challenge being mounted from Anfield that can lift his men to even greater heights.
He said: “Liverpool have had their best start ever and this is a club with a huge history and with many Champions Leagues. So we know how tough it will be. After getting 100 points last season there were a lot of nice words written about us – and when that happens sometimes you don’t do what you need to do.
“What made me happy today was seeing Raheem and Leroy and Riyad running back to help our full-backs even after 60 and 70 minutes when we were winning 3-0.
“That is the only way we can compete after having 100 points, it is the only way to fight in four competitions.
“We want to do what nobody has done in the last 10 years – to retain the title. The demands are so high but we accept the challenge.”
City were ruthless. Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini may have won the title for them four years ago, but there was no mercy for their old manager.
Silva finished a counter-attack to put City ahead in the 11th minute and the outcome was never in doubt.
Aymeric Laporte, Fernandinho and Kyle Walker were all involved before Sterling threaded a low cross through the legs of Arthur Masuaku and Silva ran off Fabian Balbuena to steer a shot past Lukasz Fabianski.
It was the Spaniard’s eighth goal of the season and even as his 33rd birthday approaches, this was another masterful performance.
Eight minutes later Sane worked a yard of space outside Pablo Zabaleta to cross low to the far post and Sterling walked home his seventh goal of the season.
Marko Arnautovic fired straight at City keeper Ederson and Michail Antonio then did exactly the same but it was game over when Fernandinho’s floated ball found Sterling in the 34th minute. The winger’s volleyed cross was controlled by Sane eight yards out and he put Balbuena on his backside before scoring.
Antonio broke clear but fired his shot against the outside of the post before Sane completed the scoring in injury time when he collected Gabriel Jesus’ far-post cross and leathered a half-volley into the far corner.
City have now plundered 17 goals in four visits to the Olympic Stadium.
Pellegrini said: “It’s not easy when you are losing 3-0 against Manchester City but I was happy that we still had the personality to play.
“We kept playing in the same way, trying to score goals, and that makes me happy because I think we are going to improve if we keep doing this.”