Gabriel comes to the four for City
Brazilian stakes claim to start against Real
NOTHING screams the strength of Manchester City’s squad like Gabriel Jesus coming in and scoring four times to extend their lead at the top of the league.
Jesus has started fewer than half of City’s games this season and owed his place to Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva being rested ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League extravaganza against Real Madrid.
Yet Pep Guardiola wants to win the Premier League as well and with understudies like his 25-year-old Brazilian, he can.
Signed as a centre-forward, Jesus starts from a wider position these days, but retains an eye for goal that was far too acute for Watford, who remain in the bottom three, seven points from safety.
Jesus was virtually standing on the six-yard line for his first two goals, completed his first Premier League hat-trick from a penalty he won with a surge into the area, and then added a fourth from ‘long-range’ — maybe 10 yards.
For good measure, he also assisted City’s other goal, a clip back for Rodri’s thunderbolt half-volley. Watford’s goal that briefly gave them hope at 2-1 was a tidy finish by Hassane Kamara but owed more to City complacency than anything else.
As for Jesus, claiming the match ball is no guarantee he will start against Real on Tuesday night. Indeed, his main hope might be because Guardiola has a crisis at right-back with Kyle Walker injured, Joao Cancelo suspended and John Stones also a doubt after being left out of yesterday’s squad.
‘Today was my day,’ said the goalscoring hero who has been linked with a move to Arsenal because of his lack of game time at City. ‘We played very good, made passes and passes to create and were good on the finishing.
‘It was my first hat-trick in the Premier League. Sometimes I have scored two and then hit the post or had a shot blocked.
‘Kevin (De Bruyne) is an amazing player and gave me a very good cross. We can’t look at Liverpool. They can win all their games but we are in front.’
Watford’s rearguard action lasted just four minutes. Cancelo bombed forward and one full-back’s cross found the other, Oleksandr Zinchenko, at the far post.
The Ukranian had time to look up and put his cross into the path of Jesus who was standing in the right place to stab his finish first time past Ben Foster.
The only obstacle for City was complacency, with Emmanuel Dennis nearly capitalising on loose play by Cancelo before he was denied a chance at goal by a great tackle from Zinchenko.
At the other end, Foster made saves from Cancelo and Jesus but was powerless against the genius of De Bruyne after 23 minutes.
Finding space down the right, the Belgian whipped in a cross at a perfect angle for Jesus to nod down and beat Foster.
Staring down the barrel, Watford then unexpectedly scored after 28 minutes, leaving Guardiola to wave his arms in disgust and sit down still chuntering.
Josh King held the ball on the left and found Dennis. The forward then picked out Kamara’s run that hadn’t been spotted by City’s defence.
The Ivorian got inside the box and beat Ederson with a low cross-shot for his first goal since signing from Nice in January.
Jeopardy was the last thing City wanted, so there was relief when they extended the lead again.
It was a strange build-up with De Bruyne laying injured after hurting his ankle. Jesus regained possession and dinked a cross back to Rodri who was standing next to the stricken De Bruyne.
The Spaniard took advantage of any Watford confusion by striking a perfect half-volley home.
Jesus, with two goals and an assist to his name already, put a chance on a plate for Raheem Sterling but he blazed over.
Within 14 seconds of the second half, Jesus surged into the penalty area and was floored by Foster’s outstretched boot.
After a four-minute VAR delay, he converted the spot-kick.
In the 53rd minute, he exchanged a one-two with De Bruyne and side-footed home from eight yards to take his season’s tally to 11.
With the points wrapped up, De Bruyne, Aymeric Laporte and Rodri were removed to put their feet up ahead of the Champions League semi-final first leg.
The truth is City’s second XI could beat most Premier League teams these days.