Watford 1-3 Man City: Player ratings as Pep Guardiola's side go top of the league
By Sean Walsh
Manchester City went top of the Premier League after beating Watford 3-1 at Vicarage Road.
Chelsea were beaten by West Ham in Saturday's early kick off, opening the door for Liverpool and City to leapfrog them in the table.
The Reds left it late to see off Wolves and temporarily go top, but Pep Guardiola's side will end the weekend in first place following a resounding victory.
Aymeric Laporte nearly gave City a second-minute lead, but his free header was cleared off the line by Joao Pedro. The visitors went in front soon after through Raheem Sterling. Phil Foden's cross was perfectly weighted for the winger to head back across Daniel Bachmann into the Watford net.
Sterling came close to grabbing a second minutes later, but this time Bachmann managed to push his strike behind for a corner. Jack Grealish, much like Laporte earlier, wriggled himself free in the box, though couldn't find the net with his header.
The former Aston Villa captain should have scored when put through by Foden, but the Watford goalkeeper was again equal to his effort.
Watford were starting to get into the game on the counter attack, with Moussa Sissoko driving through the heart of the City midfield and Emmanuel Dennis testing Ederson at his near post.
But Bernardo Silva added a City second on the counter after some neat link-up play with Ilkay Gundogan, beating Bachmann at the near post. Foden should have added a third when William Troost-Ekong failed to deal with a cross, while Sterling spurned a decent chance to do the same just after the break.
Watford continued to be put under the cosh as Foden struck the post, and Gundogan somehow fired over soon after. City finally grabbed their third when Silva cut inside from the right flank and slotted the ball into Bachmann's top corner.
A deflection from Craig Cathcart denied Grealish, but Watford managed to pull one back through Cucho Hernandez, tapping in his own rebound after striking the post.
Josh King - anonymous for much of the match - nearly grabbed another from a Hernandez cross, but it sailed just the wrong side of Ederson's post.
But City held on to secure a precious three points in the title race.
Watford player ratings
1. Goalkeeper & defenders
Daniel Bachmann (GK) - 6/10 - Poor guy was very busy this evening, let down again and again by the shoddy defending in front of him.
Kiko Femenia (RB) - 4/10 - Cooked by Foden and Cancelo time after time.
William Troost-Ekong (CB) - 3/10 - Looked completely lost and was very ineffective.
Craig Cathcart (CB) - 2/10 - Terrible. Out of his depth and not for the first time. Guardiola was furious with his horror challenge on Gabriel Jesus.
Danny Rose (LB) - 1/10 - As someone who loves Rose, it pains me to say this was one of the very worst Premier League performances I've ever seen.
2. Midfielders
Imran Louza (DM) - 2/10 - Showed intensity in patches but not enough to stop City walking right by him whenever they really wanted to. Hooked at the break.
Tom Cleverley (CM) - 2/10 - May as well have not been playing. Subbed at half-time.
Moussa Sissoko (CM) - 4/10 - Helped carry the ball out but didn't do much defensively.
3. Forwards
Emmanuel Dennis (RW) - 5/10 - Worked hard and looked a threat at times. Definitely can't put this defeat on him.
Josh King (CF) - 3/10 - Hardly noticed he was playing.
Joao Pedro (LW) - 4/10 - Was tenacious and made a goal-saving clearance but had little luck on the ball.
4. Substitutes
Juraj Kucka (CM, 46' for Cleverley) - 5/10 - Watford were better after he came on, but they couldn't have been much worse.
Cucho Hernandez (LW, 46' for Louza) - 8/10 - Was eager to get involved and grabbed a goal for his efforts.
Jeremy Ngakia (LB, 71' for Rose) - 5/10 - Wasn't worse than Rose. Good job.
Manchester City player ratings
5. Goalkeeper & defenders
Ederson (GK) - 6/10 - Mostly dealt with what was thrown his way. Not that he faced much, mind.
Kyle Walker (RB) - 7/10 - Completely overpowered former teammate Rose.
Ruben Dias (CB) - 7/10 - The only slip-up Dias had was when he literally slipped up on a wet bit of turf. Aside from that was exemplary.
Aymeric Laporte (CB) - 6/10 - Will be annoyed he wasn't the one to break the deadlock. Lost Hernandez for the consolation.
Joao Cancelo (LB) - 8/10 - Had plenty of joy bombing on, driving into midfield and switching play.
6. Midfielders
Rodri (DM) - 8/10 - Was given the freedom to play any pass he wanted to.
Bernardo Silva (CM) - 10/10 - Wow. Another stellar performance from one of the very best players in the world right now.
Ilkay Gundogan (CM) - 9/10 - Looked back to the levels he showed last season, causing plenty of havoc in dangerous areas.
7. Forwards
Raheem Sterling (RW) - 9/10 - It would be criminal for City to consider selling Sterling. Back to his best here.
Jack Grealish (CF) - 7/10 - Had plenty of chances but didn't have the finishing touch.
Phil Foden (LW) - 9/10 - Is there anything the little magician can't do? Sensational in every aspect once again.
8. Substitutes
Kevin De Bruyne (CM, 67' for Gundogan) - 7/10 - Looked dangerous in his brief cameo.
Riyad Mahrez (RW, 67' for Grealish) - 6/10
Gabriel Jesus (LW, 75' for Foden) - 5/10