CITY BOLSTER THEIR LEAD
Hat-trick from Raheem puts them 12 points clear of nearest rivals Liverpool
WHEN Jurgen Klopp said Liverpool had given up on the title race this week, Pep Guardiola’s reply was short and sweet.
The Spaniard (right) simply said that he did not believe his managerial rival.
Judging by their dominant display at Carrow Road, nor did Manchester City’s players.
Led by Raheem Sterling, who claimed a hat-trick, Guardiola’s side set out their stall early, grabbed control of the ball and duly cruised to an emphatic triumph with the minimum of fuss. Sterling’s opening strike may have taken 31 minutes to arrive, but, once Phil Foden grabbed the second a few moments into the second half, it was always a case of damage limitation for the Canaries.
Sterling claimed his second – and his side’s third – with a close-range header with 20 minutes left and rounded off his hat-trick in the dying seconds.
Those goals rebuilt the 12-point lead that the reigning champions had previously held over the Merseysiders.
But, more importantly, there were just no signs that the relentless march towards another crown would suffer a hiccup in Norfolk as it did two seasons ago.
This performance was professional, clinical and entirely on point.
Canaries boss Dean Smith would not have been alone among the home support happy to see the names Laporte, Rodri, Cancelo and De Bruyne sitting on the bench when the teamsheet was brought into the home dressing room.
Smith was not even able to renew acquaintances with Jack Grealish. The England international sat this out after
picking up a shin injury. He is touch and go for the trip to face Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday.
It looked like it might be the Canaries’ night after they enjoyed a stroke of good fortune inside the opening five minutes.
Bernardo Silva curled a shot onto the upright. The ball bounced into the woodwork and then back into the grateful arms of keeper Angus Gunn.
Norwich struck the woodwork themselves. Pierre Lees-Melou retrieved a half-cleared corner on the left flank.
His cross was met powerfully by Grant Hanley, whose header thumped into the foot of the post and away to safety. But the breakthrough arrived after a defensive mistake.
Kyle Walker’s cross from the right was miscontrolled by Max Aarons.
And that was all the encouragement Sterling needed.
The striker stepped inside his man onto his right foot and curled the ball home.
Three minutes after the interval, it was two. Again, Sterling was involved.
This time he fed Ilkay Gundogan, whose low cross was poked home by Foden, with a weak finish rolling over the goal-line through Brandon Williams’ legs.
The white shirts still poured forward and they received due reward when a short corner allowed Foden to swing over a centre that was nodded across goal by Ruben Dias and finished off by Sterling.
There was still time for the 27-year-old to ensure he would carry home the match ball. Sub Liam Delap was charged into clumsily by Hanley and Andre Marriner pointed to the spot.
Gunn guessed correctly from Sterling’s penalty, but the ball rebounded straight into the forward’s path. He was not going to miss an empty net from three yards out.
After this dominant show, there was only one conclusion to draw. Perhaps Klopp was right, after all.