After Liverpool’s statement 4-0 victory against Manchester United on Tuesday night, all eyes were on Manchester City to see how they would respond against Brighton, going into their game in second place.
The first half was nothing to write home about for the hosts, as they struggled to find a way past Graham Potter’s well-drilled defence, and there seemed to be an uneasiness creeping amongst the home fans at the Etihad Stadium.
However, the second 45 was a reminder of the Sky Blues’ champion mentality, as they stepped onto the pitch and put the opposition to the sword with a dominant display - with Riyad Mahrez, Phil Foden, and Bernardo Silva getting on the scoresheet.
Speaking after the Premier League champions’ return to the top of the table, the Algerian - who opened the scoring - gave his thoughts on the side’s 3-0 win.
“It was a tough game that we controlled from the beginning. We had to score one goal to open the game and we were patient, and we scored the goal that we needed that opened the game and we were more comfortable after that,” he assessed.
After a blistering Kevin De Bruyne run and a kind ricochet, Mahrez’s shot, which was deflected by Lewis Dunk, eventually found the back of the net.
The 31-year-old pointed out that the opener is all it took for the floodgates to open, as City started to play with a lot more swagger and took complete control of the contest.
While a slice of luck once again benefited Guardiola’s side with Phil Foden’s deflected strike, Bernardo Silva’s well-taken finish after a stunning Kevin De Bruyne assist was an indication of City coming into their own after a nervy start.
After scoring his 11th league goal and his 23rd in all competitions this season, the Sky Blues will need Mahrez to keep popping up with such key goals in the crucial title run-in.
Next up for the winger and the Blues is the visit of relegation-threatened Watford at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
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