Manchester City returned to form and increased Watford’s relegation fears with a 4-0 win at Vicarage Road after Raheem Sterling hit a brace.
England international Sterling netted his 28th and 29th goals of the season to help Pep Guardiola’s side bounce back following Saturday’s 2-0 FA Cup semi-final defeat to Arsenal.
Phil Foden and Aymeric Laporte added further efforts in the second half to make it another miserable fixture for the Hornets against City, but it was a welcome result for 19th-placed Bournemouth who live to fight another day.
Kevin De Bruyne, who set up Laporte to move onto 19 assists, tried to move level with Henry’s record of 20 from 2002/03 during the final exchanges at Vicarage Road, but Watford managed to prevent any more damage to their goal difference.
Nevertheless it was a bad night for the Hornets. Interim head coach Hayden Mullins now knows they may need a positive result at Arsenal on Sunday to ensure the hard work done by Nigel Pearson – sacked last weekend – does not go to waste.
Goal videos
- Selected clips to appear here
Reaction
- Ben Foster (Watford goalkeeper)
Speaking to Sky Sports, Foster said: “I don’t think we helped ourselves, I don’t think we did enough to do anything but what the result suggested to be honest.
“The confidence is so crazy, crazy low, I don’t know why it should be, but you get into a state of trying to minimise as much damage as you can and it’s a dangerous way to do things, but they’re Man City. They’re very, very good.”
Asked if Pearson’s sacking had affected the team, he added: “Not necessarily. We’re well versed in what goes on at this club and it is what it is. You just get used to it. In football nowadays, nothing seems to shock and you roll with the punches.
“You can’t ever blame it on anything but your own performances. We have to look at ourselves. We’ve got a massive game on Sunday and that’s all we’ve got to look at now.”
- Pep Guardiola (Manchester City)
Guardiola could take satisfaction in a much better City performance than their FA Cup semi-final defeat to Arsenal.
“(Watford) were playing for a big issue but we were much more aggressive in our senses today,” Guardiola said.
“I said to you before we had to be ourselves, you can play better or worse but the minimum is the desire and passion that you have to show and we showed it today.
“We had to avoid the game we played against Arsenal, especially the first half. Whether you win or lose you have to go in the dressing room and say, ‘OK, I’ve done everything’. This must always be happening at the big clubs and the last game we did not do it.”
- Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
- Jamie Redknapp (Sky Sports)
Opta facts
- Manchester City have scored 12 goals against Watford in the Premier League this season without conceding once – this goal difference of 12 over the two fixtures is the largest in the top-flight since 1947-48 when Arsenal also scored 12 without reply against Grimsby Town.
- Hayden Mullins is the first manager to see his side fail to score in each of his first three Premier League games since Frank de Boer with Crystal Palace in 2017-18 (four games).
- Manchester City have scored 12 goals against Watford in the Premier League this season, a joint-record for most goals against an opponent in a single campaign in the competition alongside Blackburn vs Nottingham Forest in 1995-96 and Spurs vs Wigan in 2009-10.
- Since Watford returned to the Premier League in 2015-16, they have conceded 37 league goals against Manchester City, at least seven more than any side has conceded against another in this fixture in this time.
- Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne registered his 19th league assist of the season, equalling Mesut Özil in 2015-16 and going just one behind Thierry Henry’s league record of 20 in 2002-03.
- In Phil Foden's 16 starts in all competitions for Manchester City in 2019-20 he has been directly involved in 14 goals (six goals & eight assists).
- Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster has lost on each of his last 13 starts against Manchester City in the Premier League, the longest run of losses by a starting player against a specific side in Premier League history.
- Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling has scored 10 goals against Watford in all competitions, only netting more against Bournemouth (11). He has scored nine goals in his last five matches against the Hornets.
- Raheem Sterling’s penalty, the rebound for which he scored, was the fifth Manchester City have missed in the Premier League this season; no side have ever missed more in a single Premier League campaign (Liverpool in 2011-12 and Spurs in 1994-95 also five each).
- Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has made 143 changes to their starting XI’s in the Premier League this season, the most by any manager in a single season in the competition’s history.
Wednesday's betting tips
Follow Sporting Life on social - find us on Facebook here or tweet @SportingLifeFC
Related football content
- Latest football previews and tips
- Coronavirus: Returning sports
- Sporting Life App: Android & iOS
- Guide: How to bet online
Responsible gambling
We are committed in our support of responsible gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133, or visit begambleaware.org.
Further support and information can be found at GamCare and gamblingtherapy.org.