IT’S LOVE 15 AS CITY SMASH UP WEST BROM
MANCHESTER CITY strode 15 points clear at the top of the table with a straightforward 3-0 win over West Brom at the Etihad last night. Goals from Fernandinho, Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero were enough to put Pep Guardiola’s men on easy street and the only blot on the evening was a first-half injury to playmaker David Silva which forced him to be replaced by Ilkay Gundogan. It was an otherwise ideal night for City, with nearest challengers Manchester United and Chelsea both losing. Elsewhere, Theo Walcott’s maiden Everton goals secured a first win in eight matches as a 2-1 triumph over Leicester arrested their slide under Sam Allardyce. The £20million January signing became the first Toffees player to score twice in his maiden Premier League appearance at Goodison Park since Romelu Lukaku against Newcastle in September 2013 with a first-half double. Jamie Vardy’s second-half penalty set up a nervous finish but Everton clung on to inflict the Foxes’ first defeat of 2018. Southampton recovered from a goal down to earn a 1-1 draw with Brighton but wasted the chance to ignite their season. After under-pressure manager Mauricio Pellegrino started new £19.2million striker Guido Carrillo on the bench, Saints remain at risk of relegation and in 18th place. Brighton represented beatable opposition even after Glenn Murray had given them the lead but, following Jack Stephens scoring for the second game in succession and despite their dominance, the winning goal Southampton so desperately needed did not arrive. Newcastle were pegged back by Burnley at St James’ Park as the match finished in a 1-1 draw. Joselu missed a penalty for the home side before Jerome Lascelles provided the lead but a late own goal from Karl Darlow levelled matters. Stoke City and Watford played out a sterile 0-0 draw at the bet365 Stadium which did little to ease either’s fears of being drawn into a relegation battle. The half-time parading of new signing Badou Ndiaye, who Stoke have signed from Galatasaray for a fee in the region of £15million, was one of the few occasions that got the home fans off their seats.