Manchester City back in business with comfortable home win against Watford

Manchester City 3 Watford 1: Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero were on both target as the hosts returned to winning ways after their 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park over the weekend

Raheem Sterling celebrates after putting Manchester City ahead in the first minute (Getty)

The show is back on the road. After the briefest of blips at Selhurst Park on New Year’s Eve, Manchester City began what could well be their next record-breaking run of consecutive victories with a comfortable win over Marco Silva’s Watford.

Raheem Sterling’s first-minute opener banished any lingering thought of the goalless draw at Crystal Palace and when visiting defender Christian Kabasele converted the ball into his own net inside the opening quarter of an hour, victory was never in doubt.

Sergio Aguero scored his customary goal against this opposition, adding a third in a sedate second half, and though Andre Gray’s late consolation will not have pleased Pep Guardiola, by that stage his side were certain of restoring their 15-point lead at the top of the Premier League table.

The gap could be cut by one point if Chelsea win at Arsenal on Wednesday night, but what the chasing pack do is becoming more irrelevant with each passing week at the Etihad. This has the potential to be a historic year for City and this victory was a suitable way to start it.

It took them just 39 seconds to score the fastest goal of the Premier League season so far and ensure that they would not draw successive league blanks for the first time in the Guardiola era.

David Silva, back in the starting line-up after a spell away due to personal matters, slid one of his trademark through balls in behind Watford's backline to Leroy Sané on the left flank. His first-time cross arced its way to the far post where Sterling was waiting to finish off the simplest of his 18 goals so far this season. It was child’s play.

John Stones, another returnee, should have added the second minutes later after more good work from Sané on the left but the defender, making his first start since November following a hamstring injury, blazed over the crossbar. The Etihad was not too concerned. Five minutes in and a goal up, City were already in total control.

Kevin De Bruyne returned to action despite being taken off on a stretcher in the Palace game (Getty)

Guardiola’s side eventually doubled their lead after 13 minutes, though it was a Watford player who applied the final touch. Christian Kabasele’s sliding attempt to intercept Kevin De Bruyne’s low cross was sloppy and duly punished, with the ball looping past Heurelho Gomes and into the corner of the net.

De Bruyne was a surprise inclusion having left the Selhurst Park pitch on a stretcher two days previous, but the outstanding player of this Premier League season looked both unscathed and unfazed by Jason Puncheon’s horror tackle. Shortly after his cross had helped increase City’s lead, he almost added a third, cracking a free-kick against the bar.

Watford steadied themselves as the first half progressed and had chances of their own before the break, the best of which fell to Andre Gray. It was the type of opportunity that away sides who travel to the Etihad with modest expectations simply have to take but the visitors’ lone striker fired straight at Ederson.

Kyle Walker heads clear for Manchester City (Getty)

It was a timely warning against complacency and suggested that Watford could yet make this a contest, but Silva’s side failed to build on that one clear-cut opportunity and gave their hosts few other reasons to worry for the remainder of the half. City re-emerged after the break and resumed control, with their share of possession nearing the 80 per cent mark as they patiently probed in search of a third.

Aguero found it shortly after the hour mark. The Argentine, scorer of a hat-trick in the reverse fixture at Vicarage Road in September, had spurned his fair share of opportunities in the previous 63 minutes but was on hand to stab the ball home from close range after Gomes had parried another De Bruyne cross into a crowded penalty area. It was his tenth goal in six appearances against Watford.

If anything, City were now too comfortable and with eight minutes remaining, Gray atoned for his first-half miss and wiped out what would have been a fourth consecutive clean sheet for the hosts. Watford’s consolation was well-worked, with Andre Carrillo beating Kyle Walker. Ederson failed to cut out the winger’s low cross and this time, Gray could not miss, tapping in at the far post.

Watford’s tails were up for the closing stages and the visitors caused a complacent City more problems than they had previously managed but this late show of endeavour failed to produce any clear chances. The game had been won since the 39th second.

Manchester City (4-3-3): Ederson; Walker, Stones (Danilo 67), Otamendi, Delph; De Bruyne (Bernardo 79), Fernandinho, Silva; Sterling, Aguero, Sané.

Substitutes not used: Bravo, Gundogan, Mangala, Zinchenko.

Watford (4-2-3-1): Gomes; Janmaat, Wagué, Kabasele, Zeegelaar; Doucouré, Watson (Pereyra 61); Carrillo, Capoue (Cleverley 61), Richarlison (Sinclair 82); Gray.

Substitutes not used: Karnezis, Prodl, Mariappa, Holebas.

Referee: L Mason (Lancashire)