In a one-sided beatdown, Manchester City beat Watford 1-2 at Vicarage Road.
The Sky Blues dominated the game for the vast majority of it, and the victory allowed them to increase their lead at the top of the league and extend their unbeaten run to 21 matches. Who were the winners and losers?
Winner: Pep Guardiola
21 games without defeat. Seven straight wins. Manchester City are fustigating the Premier League this season and Watford were simply the latest victims. Watford’s gameplan tonight was actually very solid, Javi Gracia gameplanned things pretty well but City were on a whole ‘nother level.
For years Pep Guardiola was thought of in England as a fraud, a chancer – now he’s come into the league and taken a decent City side and turned them into far and away the best side the country has seen for a decade since Sir Alex Ferguson’s last great side won the Champions League (and one could argue they’re the best team the Premier League has ever seen).
Without his best player from last season and resting his two best players from this season, Pep’s Manchester City still obliterated Watford and had Ben Foster not played the game of his life or had Gabriel Jesus been a bit more ruthless, this would have been another thrashing. The football deserved a thrashing, and Pep Guardiola deserves all the accolades there are.
Loser: Liverpool
You know that bit in The Simpsons episode “The Homer They Fall” where Homer is fighting Heavyweight Champion of the World Drederick Taytum and he’s asked to simply go three rounds. Not win; no one expects him to win, but he has to actually mount a challenge. Then the fight starts and Taytum is unleashing hellfire on Homer and his manager Moe looks up at the clock only to lament “aw jeez, only six seconds in?!” He knows that it’ll take a miracle for Homer to even keep pace with this juggernaut.
That’s probably how Liverpool feel right now.
Winner: Ben Foster
This game was an absolute beatdown. With the exception of one incredible Ederson save from Troy Deeney and then the last few minutes where Watford stole a consolation and briefly threatened a comeback, City had almost no defending to do. The Champions spent the entire game camped in Watford’s half trying to break the Hornets down. The sensation here was brutality.
So why was it only 1-2? Because of Ben Foster. The English international played the best game he has in years, launching himself at every single shot City sent his way; and there were loads of them. Foster was a one-man wall who went unbreached for 40 minutes; and although he conceded two in the end, he continued to make saves deep into the second half, enabling Watford’s attempted comeback.
Loser: Kevin De Bruyne
Kevin De Bruyne was the best player in the Premier League last season. He was the chief on-field architect of one of the most spectacular sides the Premier League has ever seen. A resplendent performance and a true coming of age as a world-class central midfielder.
This season, however, he’s been injured for most of it. Hell, he’s injured right now and thus played no part of the game at Watford. Why does that make him a loser? Well, if you remove the best player from any other team what do you think would happen to them? Nothing good.
But have you even realised that De Bruyne is out? Have City missed a step without their top man? No. They haven’t. So not only has De Bruyne been denied the chance of confirming his status as a world-class central midfielder, but he’s had it made abundantly clear to him that his side quite simply do not need him to continue being brilliant, and that’s gotta hurt.
Winner: Abdoulaye Doucoure
Doucoure was, for the most part, chasing shadows. The City midfield was utterly dominant and there was nothing the Watford boys could do about it. But Doucoure never gave up and continued to push forward, making those forward runs into the box.
And then with five minutes to go, he was rewarded. A great bit of work from Gerard Deulofeu to rob Fabian Delph on the left saw him fling a cross into the box; Roberto Pereyra tried to stab it home but the ball bounced to the back post where Doucoure arrived, stabbing the ball home (after his first shot was blocked by Kyle Walker). The goal actually set up a tense final five minutes. Persistence rewarded.
Loser: Vincent Kompany
Oh Vincent, whatever will we do with you? City’s Belgian captain started tonight and performed brilliantly at the heart of defence. The idea that he was a spent force incapable of dominating as he used to do was challenged by his performance tonight.
Kompany didn’t have too much to do, but that was partly because he kept his back-line so well organised. And when he had the ball he displayed a competence that he hasn’t always managed to. And then he started feeling his hamstring and had to be substituted with seven minutes left to play. This wasn’t just a blow to him, but City too (Watford scored two minutes after he left the field). Let’s hope it’s not serious and City’s skipper can get back to play as soon as possible.
The post Key winners & losers as Man City breeze past Watford appeared first on Squawka News.
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