Match ends, Watford 1, Manchester City 3.
WatfordWatford1Man CityManchester City3
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said his side had "reached their highest standard" of the season as they claimed a dominant win over Watford to move top of the Premier League for the first time in 2021-22.
Raheem Sterling headed the reigning champions ahead after only four minutes, when free at the back post to meet Phil Foden's excellent cross from the left.
The hosts were repeatedly ripped apart by City's movement, passing and creativity and only a number of saves from goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann kept the score down to one goal in the first 30 minutes.
But City got a well-deserved second as Bachmann denied Ilkay Gundogan, but the rebound fell to Bernardo Silva, who showed excellent skill to beat two defenders and finish well from a tight angle.
Silva then grabbed his second and City's third, cutting in from the right side of the penalty area and curling a fine finish past Bachmann.
Cucho Hernandez pulled one back for Watford, following in to convert a rebound after his first strike had hit the foot of the post.
- Watford v Manchester City as it happened, plus reaction and analysis
- Go straight to all the best Watford content
- Visit our City page
"We're an incredibly consistent team," said Guardiola, whose side have recorded seven consecutive wins in all competitions. "We played a really good performance and missed a lot of chances.
"The game could have been over after 10 or 15 minutes and the most important thing is we played in a consistent way that made us control the game.
"We scored three beautiful goals and could've scored more."
After 15 matches, City - title winners in five of the past 10 seasons - are a point ahead of Liverpool.
Chelsea began the day as leaders, but are now a point behind the Reds in third place, after losing 3-2 to fourth-placed West Ham.
"It's better to be at the top, but we will drop points and hopefully the opponents will as well but there is a long path ahead," added Guardiola.
Six points from eight games under Ranieri
For Watford, this was a sixth defeat in eight matches under Claudio Ranieri, albeit from an incredibly tough run, including encounters against five of the current top seven.
They performed excellently to win 5-2 at Everton and 4-1 against Manchester United in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's last match in charge of the Red Devils, but have only picked up six points since Ranieri replaced the sacked Xisco Munoz in October.
Ranieri received a hero's reception last Sunday when he took his new side to Leicester, the club he led to the Premier League title in 2015-16.
But, just as in that match where they lost 4-2, the Hornets' defensive problems were on display and only fine goalkeeping from Bachmann denied City a hatful of first-half goals.
Goalscorer Sterling also had another effort saved, Jack Grealish - back in the starting line-up for the first time in a month after injury - was denied three times and Joao Cancelo fired wide as Watford were outclassed.
After Silva doubled the visitors' lead in the 31st minute, it became a question of how many City would score.
Sterling is now on 99 Premier League goals and had a chance to reach his century, but had an effort palmed away by Bachmann, who also fingertipped a Foden drive on to the post.
The chances kept coming for City with Gundogan shooting over, before Silva's second goal - and seventh of the season - came in the 63rd minute.
Grealish also had a strike deflected on to the crossbar, and Bachmann saved from Aymeric Laporte, before substitute Hernandez claimed Watford's consolation in the 74th minute.
"At 3-0 down we never gave up," said Ranieri. "We conceded a lot of counter-attacks but I saw a lot of spirit, togetherness and commitment. I'm satisfied.
"What's important now is the experience against the big teams. Now we start playing teams like us who are fighting against relegation. Our Premier League starts now."
The only downside for Guardiola was a potential ankle injury for striker Gabriel Jesus, who was cynically hacked down by Craig Cathcart, with the defender only receiving a yellow card, not a red.
"Sometimes when the defender hacked an opponent, it's a red card," said Guardiola. "In the last five minutes, he couldn't play, he was injured.
"Hopefully it's just a knock and he can play in Germany on Tuesday [against RB Leipzig in the Champions League]."
Player of the match
Bernardo SilvaBernardo Silva
with an average of 8.83
Watford
Avg
Squad number26Player nameBachmannAverage rating5.89
Squad number8Player nameCleverleyAverage rating5.86
- Squad number29Player nameCucho HernándezAverage rating
5.67
- Squad number25Player nameDennisAverage rating
5.61
- Squad number19Player nameSissokoAverage rating
5.27
Squad number21Player nameKiko FemeníaAverage rating5.26
- Squad number10Player nameJoão PedroAverage rating
5.17
- Squad number5Player nameTroost-EkongAverage rating
5.10
- Squad number33Player nameKuckaAverage rating
5.09
- Squad number7Player nameKingAverage rating
4.99
- Squad number6Player nameLouzaAverage rating
4.92
Squad number15Player nameCathcartAverage rating4.86
- Squad number2Player nameNgakiaAverage rating
4.83
- Squad number3Player nameRoseAverage rating
4.33
Manchester City
Avg
- Squad number20Player nameBernardo SilvaAverage rating
8.83
- Squad number10Player nameGrealishAverage rating
8.13
Squad number47Player nameFodenAverage rating7.72
- Squad number27Player nameJoão CanceloAverage rating
7.56
Squad number8Player nameGündoganAverage rating7.54
- Squad number3Player nameRúben DiasAverage rating
7.50
Squad number2Player nameWalkerAverage rating7.44
- Squad number16Player nameRodriAverage rating
7.34
Squad number31Player nameEdersonAverage rating7.21
Squad number14Player nameLaporteAverage rating7.21
Squad number9Player nameGabriel JesusAverage rating6.86
Squad number17Player nameDe BruyneAverage rating6.84
Squad number26Player nameMahrezAverage rating6.69
Squad number7Player nameSterlingAverage rating4.75
Line-ups
Watford
Formation 4-1-4-1
- 26Bachmann
- 21Femenía
- 5Troost-Ekong
- 15CathcartBooked at 85mins
- 3RoseBooked at 31minsSubstituted forNgakiaat 71'minutes
- 6LouzaSubstituted forHernándezat 45'minutes
- 25Dennis
- 8CleverleySubstituted forKuckaat 45'minutes
- 19Sissoko
- 10João Pedro
- 7KingBooked at 7mins
Substitutes
- 2Ngakia
- 16Gosling
- 17Fletcher
- 18Tufan
- 27Kabasele
- 29Hernández
- 33Kucka
- 35Elliot
- 42Morris
Man City
Formation 4-3-3
- 31Ederson
- 2Walker
- 3Rúben Dias
- 14Laporte
- 27Cancelo
- 8GündoganSubstituted forDe Bruyneat 67'minutes
- 16Rodri
- 20Bernardo Silva
- 7Sterling
- 10GrealishSubstituted forMahrezat 68'minutes
- 47FodenSubstituted forGabriel Jesusat 75'minutes
Substitutes
- 5Stones
- 6Aké
- 9Gabriel Jesus
- 11Zinchenko
- 13Steffen
- 17De Bruyne
- 25Fernandinho
- 26Mahrez
- 33Carson
- Referee:
- Simon Hooper
- Attendance:
- 20,673
Match Stats
Home TeamWatfordAway TeamMan City
- Possession
- Home23%
- Away77%
- Shots
- Home11
- Away26
- Shots on Target
- Home4
- Away13
- Corners
- Home5
- Away11
- Fouls
- Home11
- Away7
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Watford 1, Manchester City 3.
Post update
Attempt missed. Jeremy Ngakia (Watford) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Cucho Hernández with a cross following a corner.
Post update
Corner, Watford. Conceded by Rúben Dias.
Post update
Corner, Watford. Conceded by Kevin De Bruyne.
Post update
Attempt saved. João Cancelo (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Kevin De Bruyne.
Post update
Foul by Bernardo Silva (Manchester City).
Post update
Cucho Hernández (Watford) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
Attempt missed. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Riyad Mahrez.
Booking
Craig Cathcart (Watford) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Craig Cathcart (Watford).
Post update
Attempt blocked. Bernardo Silva (Manchester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Gabriel Jesus.
Post update
Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by William Troost-Ekong.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Bernardo Silva.
Post update
Foul by Raheem Sterling (Manchester City).
Post update
Kiko Femenía (Watford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Attempt missed. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Bernardo Silva.
Post update
Attempt missed. Joshua King (Watford) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Cucho Hernández with a cross.
Post update
Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- Our coverage of your Premier League club is bigger and better than ever before - here's everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment
Comments
Join the conversation
1. That Chelsea, Man City and Liverpool can still win the league on the last day of the season.
2. Man U continue their terrible form and win nothing.
😁
Well done all football fans for showing such respect to the boy Arthur Labinjo-Hughes who was monstrously murdered. God love him he was a true blue Birmingham supporter. RIP little man.
Bernardo Silva, What a Player he is this Season, just So...... Beautiful to watch going Forward yet again and a Lovely Goal Bagged, without a doubt a True absolute Footballing Masterclass that was unrivalled MOTM !
Watford ? Trust Claudio Ranieri to keep the Hornets up, no danger.
Loyal manC
There’s a simple solution to cash buying trophies in football ….
Change the chumps league to straight two leg knockout ….
Change Europa league n conference lge to same …straight two leg knock out….
It stops clubs buying trophies.
Guessing manu and others won’t go for it tho….
From forestfan
Silva MOTM