Manchester City 2-0 Watford: Raheem Sterling nets first goal since £49m move as Manuel Pellegrini’s side maintain perfect start

Manchester City beat Watford 2-0 at the Etihad in the Premier League on Saturday to maintain 100 per cent record
Raheem Sterling scored his first goal since joining City after turning home Bacary Sagna’s cross on 47 minutes
City doubled their lead 10 minutes later when Fernandinho smashed home after receiving David Silva’s pass

Published:
15:49 GMT, 29 August 2015

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Updated:
18:40 GMT, 29 August 2015

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Manchester City fans chanted ‘Raheem Sterling… he’s top of the league’ as the £49million winger scored his first goal for the club and maintained their blistering 100 per cent start to the season.

The likelihood is those supporters will be able to carry on with their ditty uninterrupted for the next nine months.

Of course, as managers and cliché-mongers will tell you, trophies aren’t handed out in August. Even so, you won’t find many putting money on anyone else winning the Premier League.

Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho celebrates in front of the supporters after doubling the home side’s lead

Fernandinho produces a powerful finish that beats Watford goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes despite his despairing dive to the right

The Brazil international (far left) is congratulated by his team-mates after ensuring City’s fine start to the season continued

MATCH FACTS, PLAYER RATINGS, PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE AND MATCH ZONE

MANCHESTER CITY (4-2-3-1): Hart 6; Sagna 6.5, Mangala 6, Kompany 6, Kolarov 6; Fernandinho 6, Toure 6.5; Sterling 7.5 (Iheancho 90), Silva 8 (Delph 75 6), Navas 5.5 (Nasri 45 6); Aguero 6.5

Subs not used: Caballero, Demichelis, Roberts, Maffeo Becerra, Iheanacho

Scorers: Sterling 47, Fernandinho 56

Booked: Kompany

WATFORD (4-2-3-1): Gomes 6; Nyom 7, Prodl 6, Catchcart 6.5, Holebas 6.5; Behrami 7, Capoue 7 (Watson 76 6), Abdi 6 (Anya 63 6); Ighalo 6 (Layun 72 6), Jurado 6, Deeney 6

Subs not used: Arlauskis, Hoban, Diamanti, Vydra

Booked: Nyom, Prodl

Referee: Mark Clattenburg

Fernandinho doubled the lead. CLICK HERE for more Match Zone

City have won all four matches to date, scoring 10 and conceding none. Their best players are all performing well; particularly the spine of Joe Hart, Vincent Kompany, Yaya Toure, David Silva and Sergio Aguero.

And they have the final piece in the jigsaw, £54million winger Kevin de Bruyne from Wolfsburg, about to arrive after having a medical in Manchester on Saturday.

In his programme notes, manager Manuel Pellegrini wrote that ‘everything has gone to plan so far’. He’s not kidding. City stand three points clear at the top and have now won a club record 10 league games in a row, including the six at the back end of the last campaign.

A routine home victory against newly-promoted Watford – who were well-organised and deserved going into the half-time break goalless – will not go down in the annals of club history, but it will always be remembered sweetly in the Sterling household.

After the rancour of his summer move from Liverpool, the young man was able to show what he can do on the pitch, capped by a nonchalant volleyed finish from Bacary Sagna’s cross that broke the deadlock two minutes after the interval.

The normally understated Pellegrini was able to pat himself on the back for making the half-time change – Samir Nasri for Jesus Navas – that allowed Sterling to move from the left to partner Aguero up front.

Raheem Sterling jumps for joy after giving Manchester City the lead early in the second half against Watford at the Etihad

Sterling arrives on the edge of the six-yard box to turn home Bacary Sanga’s cross to fire the home side ahead on 47 minutes

Sterling covers his face as he wheels away in celebration after finding the target for the first time in a City shirt in the Premier League

Former Liverpool forward Sterling jumps on Yaya Toure’s back as the players celebrate Sterling’s first goal for the club

‘I think it was important to make the change at half time,’ said Pellegrini. ‘ We had possession before then but not many chances. So we changed it, we needed someone closer to Kun (Aguero) and we returned to 4-4-2!

‘We have had four different opponents and found the solution against them. But there have only been four games. Last season Chelsea had an eight-point lead and we caught up by the end of the year so it is too early to make predictions.’

For a player who has always talked about the need to score more goals, Sterling will be relieved to end a 10-game scoreless streak dating back to mid-April when he was at Anfield. The way he met Sagna’s cross first-time and virtually passed it into the net indicated a player high on technique and confidence.

He also had two good efforts on goal, one blocked and one saved by Gomes, and was cheered when he diligently tracked back to foil a breakaway by Watford winger Odion Ighalo.

Watford did themselves credit against a team like City. Their first three matches back in the Premier League ended with draws against Everton, West Brom and Southampton, but this was a step up in class.

Former Aston Villa midfielder Fabian Delph was introduced as a second-half substitute to make his second appearance for Manchester City

Manchester City’s £49million signing Sterling gets his head up as he looks to beat Watford defender Sebastian Prodl

Aleksandar Kolarov appears to be in pain as Watford striker Troy Deeney challenges for the ball with his foot high

David Silva (right), who has started the season in magnificent form for Manchester City, protects the ball from Allan-Romeo Nyon

Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany is given a yellow card by referee Mark Clattenburg after diving into Jose Manuel Jurado

Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling (right) looks on a collision course with Watford defender Nyom

‘We defended well in the first half but the goal came so quickly after half-time, we had to change,’ admitted manager Quique Sanchez Flores. ‘When we had the ball, we gave it away early.’

Flores managed Silva at Valencia and Aguero at Atletico Madrid so he was aware of the threat they possessed and changed his system with Jurado playing as a false No9. It worked for 45 minutes but not 90.

Navas, whose place is most under threat from de Bruyne, didn’t reappear after the interval to allow Bacary Sagna the license to roam up and down the right flank.

It worked a dream within two minutes of the restart. Silva got a fortunate bounce of the ball and typically made the most of it to release his right-back.

Sagna’s waist-high cross was perfect and Sterling, in space between two defenders, volleyed in from close range to become City’s eighth different scorer this season.

England international Sterling reacts with disappointment after seeing his effort blocked by Watford defender Craig Cathcart

Three Watford defenders attempt to crowd out Sergio Aguero as the Manchester City striker looks to burst away from their clutches

Watford full back Jose Holebas tangles with Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure as the pair battle for possession

Once in front, any remaining anxiety disappeared from the City ranks. A second goal was added after 57 minutes with Silva again involved.

Toure’s free-kick was charged down but Fernandinho reacted quickest, heading to Silva and the Spaniard played a delicious return ball into his path.

The finish from the Brazilian was emphatic, a fierce angled drive from 18 yards that arced away from his compatriot Gomes.

Pellegrini was able to give summer signing Fabian Delph his home debut with Silva making way to a standing ovation 15 minutes from the end. 18-year-old Nigerian forward Kelechi Iheancho also came on wearing the No72 shirt in injury-time for his debut.

Watford’s only consolation was winding up City by sending on Ben Watson as a late substitute. He famously scored an FA Cup final winner for Wigan against them in 2013.

Watson’s presence was a minor irritation though. The big picture is that City look unstoppable right now and the fans must be licking their lips at the prospect of Sterling and de Bruyne working together.