Sterling Scores as City Continue Perfect Premier League Start

Manchester City retained their 100% start to the Premier League season with a confident 2-0 win at home to Watford.

Raheem Sterling opened his league account for the hosts and Fernadinho took his tally to two this season after another sublime finish at the Etihad stadium.

City named an unchanged side from the 2-0 win at Everton last time out. Watford tweaked their starting lineup by introducing Almen Abdi for Scotland international Ikechi Anya.

Watford asked early questions of the Premier League leaders’ defensive capabilities which ended in some scrappy corner kicks at the home team’s end – all but well taken charge of.

City wrestled back initiative with Aleksandar Kolarov curling a 25-yard free-kick over the crossbar, but could not break Watford’s defense after 45 minutes of play.

The Citizens would later come banging in the goals on the restarts, coming up with two goals in the space of ten minutes.

Raheem Sterling Celebrates With Bacary Sagna after Scoring His First League Goal for City. Image: Getty.
Raheem Sterling Celebrates With Bacary Sagna after Scoring His First League Goal for City. Image: Getty.

Sterling handed Manuel Pellegrini’s men the lead just moments after the restart; the former Liverpool winger getting on the end of a Bacary Sagna cross from the right to open his Premier League account for his new club with a deft finish.

The Citizens were 2-0 up when David Silva slipped in Fernadinho, after Watford had managed to block Yaya Toure’s free-kick, only for the midfielder to rifle a sublime shot into the net.

Toure came close to making scores 3-0 on 76 minutes but bent his shot narrowly past the far post.

Watford could not conjure up clear-cut chances, despite few moments of sustained pressure, as City appeared the most likely to add to their tally. Goalkeeper Jordy Gomez punched away a Samir Nasri shot from outside of the box in the 88th minute.

The win makes it four out of four for City who a pretty nested at the summit of the Premier League table.