Premier League 2019-20 news – Sublime Manchester City score eight in Watford demolition
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Updated 21/09/2019 at 16:35 GMT
Premier League, Etihad Stadium – Manchester City 8 (D. Silva 1, Aguero 7 pen, Mahrez 12, B. Silva 15 49 60, Otamendi 18, De Bruyne 85) Watford 0
Manchester City celebrate
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Manchester City emphatically bounced back from last week’s shock defeat to Norwich City by beating Watford 8-0 in a match which saw them score five times in the opening 18 minutes.
Pep Guardiola decided to use Fernandinho at centre back after injuries to Aymeric Laporte and John Stones, but City’s defence was rarely tested as they served a warning to anyone daring to write them off.
It took the Premier League champions just 52 seconds to take the lead, with David Silva converting a Kevin de Bruyne cross from the right. Five minutes later, it was 2-0 when Sergio Aguero scored a penalty kick won by Riyad Mahrez.
The third goal was scored after 12 minutes, with Mahrez sending a freekick past Ben Foster via a helpful deflection off the Watford wall. The fourth arrived three minutes later through a Bernardo Silva stooped header and the fifth was notched three minutes after that, with Nicolas Otamendi sliding in at the back post.
Bernardo scored a sixth and a seventh to secure his hat-trick, his first in the Premier League, before De Bruyne capped a Man of the Match performance with a stunning strike from 16 yards out to make it 8-0. This was City at their absolute best.
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Manchester City 8-0 Watford
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TALKING POINT
City have moved on pretty quickly from what happened at Norwich. Man City’s rivals surely must have hoped that last week’s shock defeat to Norwich City would have seen the Premier League champions spiral. However, this performance, along with the one turned in against Shakhtar Donestk in the Champions League during the week, suggest there is no lasting damage. This was City at their absolute best. They were unstoppable in the first 2-0 minutes, putting five past Watford. The scary thing is they could have scored even more.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City): Assuming the Belgian can stay clear of injuries, De Bruyne will surely be this season’s Premier League Player of the Year. He has started the campaign in exceptional form and this was just another demonstration of his ability on the ball, slicing open the Watford defence with a number of inch-perfect passes and crosses. It was only through the relative wastefulness of his teammates that he only registered two assists. His stunning strike late on was the pick of the bunch.
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Kevin De Bruyne celebrates
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PLAYER RATINGS
Manchester City: Ederson 6, Walker 7, Fernandinho 8, Otamendi 8, Mendy 7, Rodrigo 7, Silva 8, Mahrez 8, De Bruyne 9, Bernardo 8, Aguero 7. Subs - Cancelo 6, Garcia 6, Angelino 7.
Watford: Foster 5, Foulquier 3, Mariappa 4, Dawson 4, Holebas 4, Femenia 5, Doucoure 5, Capoue 5, Cleverley 4, Hughes 5, Deulofeu 6. Subs - Gray 5, Sarr 4, Pereyra 5.
KEY MOMENTS
1’ GOAL! City 1-0 Watford (D. Silva): Well, that didn't take long at all. City have taken the lead in the opening minute! De Bruyne was given far too much time to get the cross into the box from the right side and Silva was on hand at the back post to convert into the back of the net.
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Manchester City-Watford Premier League 2019-20
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6’ PENALTY TO CITY! The hosts will have a chance to double their advantage from the spot after Mahrez was tripped inside the area by Foster. What a start to this match. Aguero will take it.
7’ GOAL! City 2-0 Watford (Aguero pen): We have only played seven minutes, but City might already be out of sight. Aguero stepped up to take the penalty kick that Mahrez won and the Argentine striker fired his shot right down the middle, with Foster diving to his left. City have a two-goal advantage.
12’ GOAL! City 3-0 Watford (Mahrez): My word! Man City are rampant early on in this match! They won a freekick right on the edge of the Watford box and Mahrez found the back of the net. The strike from Mahrez took a big deflection, but all that matters is that City are 3-0 up.
15’ GOAL! City 4-0 Watford (B. Silva): They just can't stop scoring! It's FOUR goals within 15 minutes for Man City! De Bruyne took the corner from the right side, it was flicked on by Otamendi and Bernardo was on hand to finish with a stooped header from close range. This could be anything by the full time whistle.
18’ GOAL! City 5-0 Watford (Otamendi): It's FIVE! City are essentially scoring whenever they want! This time the quick freekick was taken to release Aguero in behind, he then played a pass across the face of goal and Otamendi was on hand to slide in at the back post! This is becoming a rout. We have only played 18 minutes!
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Manchester City celebrate
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29’ AGUERO HITS THE POST! This is unbelievable! City are rampant. They could have scored seven or eight here. This time Aguero strikes the woodwork from a low De Bruyne cross to the near post!
45’ MORE WOODWORK! It's another De Bruyne cross that causes mayhem in the Watford box. Aguero met it at the back post and struck the woodwork with his header. Foster might have got a touch on it as well.
49’ GOAL! City 6-0 Watford (B. Silva): There's the sixth goal and Bernardo has his second of the match! Silva wriggled around in the penalty box, Watford had chances to clear the danger, but the ball was played through to Bernardo and he finished past Foster into the back of the net.
61’ GOAL! City 7-0 Watford (B. Silva): There's the seventh goal and that had been coming for a while! De Bruyne played the cross across the six yard box, Bernardo mishit his first shot, but then made no mistake in finishing at the second time of asking. It's a hat-trick! Man City are closing in on that record win…
67’ CROSSBAR! What an opportunity for Man City to score another. Angelino's cross came in from the left, Mahrez got on the end of it in the box, he made a clean contact, but saw the ball rattle against the crossbar!
85’ GOAL! City 8-0 Watford (De Bruyne): There's the eighth goal and Man City are just one goal away from equalling the record for the biggest ever Premier League victory! De Bruyne thumps a shot into the roof of the net from 16 yards out after cutting inside off the left side. What a strike!
KEY STATS
- Manchester City’s five goals after just 18 minutes was the fastest that any team has ever raced to a 5-0 lead in a Premier League match.
- Sergio Aguero has now scored 100 goals for Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
- David Silva’s goal after just 52 seconds was the fastest goal in the Premier League so far this season.
- Manchester City have now scored seven or more goals in a game in the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and Champions League in 2019.
- Manchester City scored eight goals in a single Premier League game for the first time in their history.
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