Brilliant Bernardo brace sends City slickers to the summit
PEP GUARDIOLA played with five forwards to smash through Watford’s defensive plan and return to the top of the Premier League for the first time since they were crowned champions last season.
What looked on paper a 4-3-3 turned out to be a front five with Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan joining Jack Grealish as central strikers with Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden high on either flank.
The outcome was that Claudio Ranieri’s tactic to frustrate City was torn apart pretty quickly with his defenders not knowing who to mark.
Aymeric Laporte had already seen one header cleared off the line by Joao Pedro before City scored after four minutes when Foden was left in acres of space on the left to find Sterling who headed in unopposed.
It was no exaggeration to say City could have repeated the six goals they put past Watford in the 2019 FA Cup Final before the half-hour.
The in-form Bernardo did eventually strike either side of half-time to take his personal tally to five goals in seven games. By the time Cucho Hernandez replied late on for Watford, the visitors were comfortably on their way to a seventh win in a row.
Sterling’s early breakthrough threatened to open the floodgates. He forced a full-length dive from Daniel Bachmann and Grealish then headed straight at the Watford goalkeeper from Foden’s corner.
City’s overdue second goal arrived after 31 minutes. Gundogan’s shot was parried to Bernardo and he got a lucky ricochet before slipping in from an acute angle.
Bernardo’s brilliant shot into the top corner for the third goal after 63 minutes settled matters.
It didn’t seem an obvious chance when he received a pass from Kyle Walker on the right-angle of the area. But it made little difference to the in-form Portuguese international as he curled in a left-foot shot giving Bachmann no chance.
‘Thanks to Bernardo,’ said Guardiola, who reckons the midfielder is the best player in the league right now. ‘He proved that I was not wrong. We created more chances and could have scored more but it was a good win.’
Watford did pull a goal back with their substitute Hernandez registering at the second time of asking after 74 minutes.
The Colombian was unlucky when his initial shot struck the inside of the post but when it rebounded to him he tried again and this time found the net via a deflection off the diving Ederson.
Just two points separate the three title protagonists of City, Liverpool and Chelsea and it promises to be an enthralling battle between them.
Watford boss Ranieri added: ‘Even at 3-0 down, I thought we showed a lot of spirit. We are together and committed to stay up.’