Manchester City ease past Huddersfield to close gap on Liverpool

* Danilo's deflected shot opened the scoring

* City's 100th goal of the season in all competitions

* Raheem Sterling headed City's second in the 54th minute

* Leroy Sane made it 3-0 almost immediately

* Huddersfield host Everton next, City at Newcastle

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HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 0 MANCHESTER CITY 3

Jan 20 (Reuters) - Manchester City barely got out of second gear as they easily beat bottom club Huddersfield Town to close the gap on leaders Liverpool to four points on Sunday.

Danilo's deflected shot gave City the lead in an opening half in which they were not at their sharpest.

That goal took City's goal tally to 100 in all competitions this season -- making them the only club in Europe's top five leagues to reach that total.

Pep Guardiola's side upped the tempo early in the second half and Raheem Sterling headed in their second goal in the 54th minute before Leroy Sane made it 3-0 two minutes later.

It was a poor advert for the Premier League with Huddersfield, who look almost certain to get relegated and who parted company with manager David Wagner this week, offering next to nothing as an attacking force.

City's fourth consecutive win since back-to-back losses over Christmas took them to 56 points from 23 games with Liverpool on 60 after they beat Crystal Palace on Saturday 4-3.

Toothless Huddersfield, who had caretaker boss Mark Hudson in charge for the first time, have only 11 points and are 10 points behind Newcastle United who are 17th. (Reporting by Martyn Herman; editing by Clare Fallon)