Reuters
London, Sept 18: Manchester City maintained their imperious start to the season with a fifth straight victory Saturday as Bournemouth were swept aside 4-0 to become the latest victims of Pep Guardiola’s table-toppers.
Goals from Kevin De Bruyne, Kelechi Iheanacho, Raheem Sterling and Ilkay Guendogan, on his Premier League debut, wrapped up the points after another scintillating display from the title favourites who continue to lay down a marker to their rivals.
There was also a double strike at Leicester City where new signing Islam Slimani enjoyed a league debut to remember as the champions rediscovered their domestic form to beat Burnley 3-0.
Arsenal made it three successive league wins for the first time since January when they eased past 10-man Hull City 4-1 with Alexis Sanchez scoring twice and missing a penalty.
Heading the chasing pack are Everton, who stayed two points behind City with a 3-1 home win over Middlesbrough, Gareth Barry marking his 600th league appearance with a goal.
City were 1-0 up after 15 minutes when De Bruyne cleverly fired a free kick beneath the wall and into the net. They doubled the lead 10 minutes later when Iheanacho stabbed the ball home. The Nigerian then turned provider for Sterling soon after halftime and Guendogan rounded off the scoring when he drilled the ball low inside the post.
There was a sour note for City when they had Spaniard Nolito sent off for a head-butt with four minutes remaining.
The Algeria striker Slimani met Christian Fuchs’ inswinging free kick in first-half stoppage time and then headed home after the break when Riyad Mahrez showcased his dancing feet to shimmy into the box. Ben Mee’s own goal completed the scoring late on as Leicester took their haul to seven points from five games.
Meanwhile, Sanchez deflected the ball home to put Arsenal ahead after 17 minutes. Theo Walcott doubled the lead 10 minutes into the second half and, although the hosts pulled a goal back from the penalty spot through Robert Snodgrass, there was to be no late fightback.
Sanchez rifled the ball high into the net and Granit Xhaka made it 4-1 with a bullet finish from distance in stoppage time, putting the London club third in the table on 10 points.
De Bruyne on another level
Kevin de Bruyne was hailed as playing football on another level by his manager Pep Guardiola after the Belgian maestro orchestrated another Manchester City symphony Saturday.
City maintained their season’s 100 percent competitive record with the 4-0 annihilation of Bournemouth, breaking a 119-year-old club record in the process, and afterwards Guardiola could not have been more effusive in praise of his remarkable midfielder.
De Bruyne scored the first and was involved in the other three goals, continuing a run of form which has been instrumental in City winning eight successive games under Guardiola, surpassing the record of seven set in the Victorian era in 1897.
“The performance from Kevin was terrific, amazing,” Guardiola enthused. “He is on another level. He is a fantastic player. I think he’s a special player, an outstanding player. Without the ball, he is the first fighter. With it, he sees the right move every single time. We are lucky to have him.”
At the heart of it all is De Bruyne, who looks the complete midfielder all season, his tireless running allied to such intelligence and skill that it is now easy to believe that had injury not sidelined him for two months last season City would have won the title.
The Belgian was at the centre of all City’s most exquisite moves, and his interplay with Kelechi Iheanacho, Raheem Sterling and Ilkay Gundogan, who all got on the scoresheet, left Bournemouth paralysed.
Watford stun Man U
Manchester United Sunday suffered their third defeat in eight days as Watford handed Jose Mourinho his worst run as a manager in a decade. United were unsettled by Watford’s harrying game and went behind on 32 minutes after Anthony Martial was robbed by Miguel Britos. Daryl Janmaat picked up the ball and crossed for Etienne Capoue to fire his fourth goal of the season. Marcus Rashford then struck the equaliser for United on 62 minutes after his header bounced back to him off a defender. Watford’s Juan Zuniga scored from a cutback by Roberto Pereyra less than a minute after coming on. Zuniga was then brought down by Marouane Fellaini inside the area late on to allow Troy Deeney to score from the spot.