SIZZLING SANE IS JUST TOO HOT FOR HAMMERS
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 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 and have a positive goal difference of 35.
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.
Guardiola said: “Liverpool have had their best start ever and this is a club with a huge history and with many Champions Leagues.
“How many titles do Liverpool have? Seventeen or eighteen?
“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 (Mahrez) 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. From the moment Silva finished off a counterattack to put City ahead in the 11th minute, the outcome was never in doubt. City scored again eight minutes later when Sane crossed to Sterling, who walked home his seventh goal of the season.
Manuel Pellegrini had promised to attack – and West Ham did have chances, but it really was game over in the 34th minute when Fernandinho’s floated ball found Sterling drifting behind Arthur Masuaku. The winger’s volleyed cross was controlled by Sane eight yards out and he put Fabian Balbuena on his backside before scoring. Sane completed the rout in injury-time when he collected Gabriel Jesus’ far-post cross and smashed a half-volley into the far corner despite the goalline efforts of Aaron Cresswell.
It could have been much worse for West Ham, but Pellegrini said: “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.”
WEST HAM .......... 0 MAN CITY ............ 4