Manchester City continued their exceptional form with a comfortable 2-0 home win over Watford.
In what was a bizarre day for the Premier League which saw five red cards over Saturday’s eight fixtures, the Sky Blues were the only home team to take all three points on the day. Pellegrini’s men are already sitting comfortably atop the standings, one game clear of second place.
City were in control for most of the game and could have scored more than they did. Manuel Pellegrini will not worry too much though, considering his side have impressively outplayed all of their opponents so far. The first-half ended goalless after a few chances for the hosts went begging, but the second began on a perfect note for supporters, as new signing Raheem Sterling opened the scoring within two minutes of the restart. Watford showed no real signs of a fightback and Fernandinho made sure the points were staying at the Etihad when he latched onto a ball in the penalty area and hammered it past a helpless Heurelho Gomes.
The Sky Blues maintain their 100% record in the league and continue to look like this season’s team to beat.
Formations
City were unchanged from the side that beat Chelsea and Everton in the last couple of weeks. Pellegrini also kept the same 4-2-3-1 formation as he has in all of City’s games this season. Pablo Zabaleta’s injury kept him out of the side, with Bacary Sagna deputising in his place. Fernandinho, who continues to impress with his performances, kept new signing Fabian Delph on the bench as he partnered Yaya Toure in the centre of midfield.
Watford made only one change to the side that drew at home to Southampton. Ikechi Anya had to make due for a place on the bench and was replaced by Almen Abdi in the starting XI. There was no place in the side for new signing Alessandro Diamanti as he looks to make his first start for the Hornets.
Sterling off the mark
After three decent performances but no goals to show for it, City’s £49 million man opened his scoring account. The 20-year old was at his best and nearly managed to squeeze one past Gomes in the first-half, but made his next chance count just 90 seconds after the break, the former Liverpool playmaker calmly slotted past the Watford goalkeeper from Bacary Sagna’s cross. Watford’s right-back Alan Nyom was given a torrid time by Sterling, who thoroughly enjoyed running at the Watford defence. The goal will come as a huge relief for Sterling as he looks to repay the investment City have put in him.
He also continues to excel in his partnership with Aleksadar Kolarov, with most of his play being predominantly from the left hand side.
Watford need to score more
It is understandably difficult for promoted teams to have an immediate impact in the Premier League and Watford have not done too bad for themselves so far, drawing their previous three games and losing for the first time to Manchester City. Three points in four games is not an ideal start for any team, but the Hornets do look like a fighting side and Premier League survival will definitely be a top priority.
A worrying factor for Quique Flores though will be the lack of goals his team has scored. Netting only twice in four occasions makes them the joint lowest scorers in the league so far. Skipper Troy Deeney has had a fantastic last few years, scoring 20 goals in each of his last three campaigns, but is yet to find the target in the Premier League. They managed only seven shots against City, of which only three were from inside the box. Something will need to change quickly for Quique Flores and with the transfer window still open, maybe signing another attacking player will do the trick?
City’s defence
While much praise has been heaped on City’s attackers this season, a mention must be given to Joe Hart and his back four. After a unsatisfactory run in the last term, Pellegrini seems to have a defensive line that simply cannot be penetrated. Four games in and they have yet to see the ball go past Hart. Yaya Toure and Fernandinho have been stand outs as well, providing fantastic cover for their defenders.
City look much like how Chelsea were at this stage last season, if not even better. While the hitmen are doing a fantastic job themselves, the Sky Blue back four continues to keep their gates firmly shut. Kolarov has been flawless this season and Sagna is doing a rather good job in replacing Zabaleta. New signing Nicolas Otamendi, along with Martin Demichelis look set to warm the bench a bit more after Vincent Kompany and Eliaquim Mangala have done no wrong yet in the heart of the City defence.
Manchester City Conclusion
City head into the upcoming international break at the top of the league, taking maximum rewards in the process. If rivals Manchester United are to stumble in their game tonight, it will mean Pellegrini’s men will remain three points clear at the top, having scored 10 and yet to concede. While most teams in the league are struggling with something or the other, the Sky Blues have looked more than comfortable in all of their games. Consistency will be key and City will have to put in similar performances throughout the season if they are to lift the title at the end.
[interaction id=”55e290ea47016b292e33cd59″]
Watford Conclusion
The Hornets have not been too bad but a lack of goals will be concerning for the fans. Quique Flores will hope to whip his forwards into shape over the international break as they look to score their first goal after the 2-2 draw away at Everton in the first week. Deeney will particularly look to lead the forward line by example as he searches for his first Premier League goal. Watford certainly possess the ability and the right players to do well this season, also possessing a good coach in Flores. The Hornets will look to bag more goals and can hopefully start against Swansea in their next fixture.
What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.
