West Brom 0, Manchester City 5
Manchester City became the ninth different Premier League leaders this season with a dazzling 5-0 win at relegation threatened West Brom.
Embed from Getty ImagesIlkay Gundogan scored twice while Joao Cancelo, Riyad Mahrez, and Raheem Sterling competed with him for goal of the game as Manchester City thrashed West Brom to spend the night on top of the Premier League for the first time in 529 days.
Gundogan was wearing Colin Bell’s number 8 shirt on the day of the King of Maine Road’s funeral and was not the only City player in inspired form as they blew their hosts away in a masterful first half.
City’s win, their 11th consecutive win in all competitions, put them a point clear of United with 41 points after 19 games played.
This was a City side without the talents of Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero, a team who played without a striker until the hour mark, and they put the Baggies to the sword.
City’s dominance and clinical finishing in front of goal was clear to see as they finished with 78% possession, with 18 shots on goal, converting 5 out of 7 shots on target, and restricting their hosts to just one shot on target.
The Baggies have now conceded three or more goals in five consecutive games as Sam Allardyce’s side struggled to contain the in-form Blues as they made light work of their hosts.
It was all change again for Manchester City as Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez were the only players to stay in the side from the win over Cheltenham Town on Saturday.
Foden made his 100th appearance for City – 26th this season – and may have more opportunities after Kevin De Bruyne was ruled out for 4-6 weeks but the mantle of match winner was shared by other team mates today.
Karlan Grant returned from injury to start for West Brom, one of three changes for the Baggies from their defeat against West Ham a week ago.
And the Baggies had a very bright start as City were forced to clear the ball twice in the first two minutes at the Hawthorns with John Stones making an early clearance.
Man of the moment Foden saw his shot palmed onto the post by Sam Johnstone – the keeper who thwarted them in December’s hard earned draw at the Etihad in December.
But it was another midfielder who got City off the mark – Ilkay Gundogan turned and fired past Johnstone from 20 yards out after a great first touch to control a forward pass by Joao Cancelo.
It was his 6th goal in the last 10 games for the German who now has a total of 8 for the season.
Mahrez fired over there bar as the Baggies retreated with City passing the ball in front of them, stretching the defence while switching the play.
Darnell Furlong put the ball wide of his own net after Sterling put the ball across the 6 yard area after another dizzying spell of possession for the Blues.
Cancelo’s 20th minute finish was initially ruled out for offside and the Baggies defenders had already stopped but VAR came back and declared to be marginally onside.
Bernardo Silva had reacted first to a ball over the top, beating the offside trap, before cutting the ball back to his fellow countryman to finish past Johnstone from the edge of the box – it was Cancelo’s first ever Premier League goal and only his second goal of the season.
Semi Ajayi thrashed the ball away as City went for a third, but Sterling had received the ball in an offside position.
Callum Robinson had a chance to get on the scoresheet after a rare mistake by Stones but rushed his shot and sent it wide after 28 minutes.
And City punished them on the half hour mark when Gundogan won the loose ball from Dara O’Shea as West Brom failed to complete a clearance and slotted home from 12 yards out to make it 3-0 and his 9th strike of the season.
Gundogan threaded Cancelo through with a sumptuous pass in the 39th minute but the full back’s tame shot was easily collected by Johnstone while it needed 3 defenders to crowd around Raheem Sterling to prevent him from carving out a shot on goal from inside the area.
Two minutes into first half injury time Mahrez expertly controlled a cross into the area by Sterling – killing the ball dead – cut inside from the right and curled a fourth for City from 12 yards out with his left boot for his 6th of the season.
Second half control for Manchester City who crush West Brom to go top of the Premier League
Kyle Bartley replaced Robinson at the break as the Baggies went into damage control mode and switched to three at the back.
Mahrez’ thundering strike was blocked by Bartley as City went for the jugular while Sterling delayed his shot too long after a mazy dribble and Johnstone made the save at his feet while Rodri hammered a shot over the bar.
Aymeric Laporte and Ferran Torres were brought on, replacing Gundogan and Foden as City reshuffled in the 52nd minute, as City expected a second half aerial barrage.
Laporte went to left back with Oleksandr Zinchenko moving into his preferred midfield role.
But City stayed in control and after 57 minutes they hit their fifth when Mahrez received a cross field pass from Rodri and squared the ball for Sterling to tap in from 4 yards out – his 9th goal of the season.
The goal came from the Baggies’ inability to complete the clearance after Sterling had his initial shot blocked, and Rodri was given plenty of time to find Mahrez with a great switch of play.
Gabriel Jesus came on at the hour mark for the hard working Bernardo Silva as City continued to press home the advantage by dominating the ball against the Baggies and denying them the chance to counter attack.
Substitute Hal Robson-Kanu was denied a late penalty claim by referee Chris Kavanagh and Ederson made an injury time save to deny a Baggies chance as the stubborn City defence kept another clean sheet even as Cancelo tried to get his own second goal with a late effort straight into Johnstone’s arms.
GOALS – West Brom 0, Manchester City 5
West Brom 0, Man City 1: 6. Ilkay Gundogan controlled a forward pass by Joao Cancelo, turned and placed his shot past Sam Johnstone from outside the box.
West Brom 0, Man City 2: 20. Joao Cancelo made no mistake from the edge of the box after ghosting up from midfield to meet Bernardo Silva’s cutback after he had beaten the offside trap – it was initially flagged offside but given soon afterwards by VAR.
West Brom 0, Man City 3: 30. Ilkay Gundogan hit his second of the game after West Brom failed to clear the ball, the German snatched the loose ball, made space and beat Sam Johnstone from 12 yards.
West Brom 0, Man City 4: 45+2. Riyad Mahrez superbly controlled a Raheem Sterling cross into the area from the left before cutting inside and curling a shot past Johnstone from 12 yards out.
West Brom 0, Man City 5: 57. Raheem Sterling had a tap-in from 4 yards out after he met a Riyad Mahrez square ball from the right after a switch of play by Rodri brought the Algerian into the game.
MATCH STATS – West Brom 0, Manchester City 5
West Brom: Johnstone, Furlong, Ajayi, O’Shea, Gibbs, Snodgrass (Phillips 59), Livermore, Sawyers, Grant (Robson-Kanu 64), Pereira, Robinson (Bartley 46)
West Brom subs not used: Button, Townsend, Gallagher, Ivanovic, Edwards, Peltier
Booked: Robson-Kanu 84 (foul on Aymeric Laporte)
Man City: Ederson, Cancelo, Stones, Dias, Zinchenko, Rodri, Gundogan (Laporte 52), Bernardo Silva (Jesus 61), Mahrez, Foden (Torres 52), Sterling
Man City subs not used: Steffen, Walker, Mendy, Fernandinho, Garcia, Bernabe
Goals: Gundogan 6, 30; Cancelo 20; Mahrez 45+2; Sterling 57
Referee: Chris Kavanagh