Manchester City 8 Watford 0 : Player Ratings and MOTM
By David Crook
Pep Guardiola has treated the Manchester City fans to some scintillating displays of football and this match against Watford is right up there, amongst the very best.
Manchester City did not just win this game, they brushed aside the bottom club Watford. But this was not just a gap in class, it was a gap in dedication and commitment of the players. Even at 5-0 up, City players chased the ball, hunted in packs and pressed. Their efforts were not lessened by the scoreline, whereas Watford loped around half heartedly, scared of what might come.
In the press conference before the game the Watford manager, Quique Sanchez Flores, was reminded that in the recent games between the two sides Watford had lost every encounter since 1989. He mused in reply whether Watford were scared of City and that seemed to be the case as the match unfolded.
Some 18 minutes into the game Watford were in fact 5-0 down and the players limped around, wounded and beaten hoping the final whistle could come and they may replay the match on Fifa20 when they get home.
Keeping the scoreline down to just 5 at half time actually seemed like an achievement given the form City were in and the lack of cohesion amongst the Watford team. The fans who had journeyed from Watford to bask in the sunshine at the Etihad must have wondered whether the 6-0 drubbing inflicted upon them in the FA Cup Final back in May could actually get worse.
They found the answer out as the second half broke into life.
As the site expert at Man City Square, I have had the pleasure of watching a great many Manchester City games and at the moment is a real pleasure to review and watch these games. It has not always felt like a privilege to be a Manchester City fan so we should all unashamedly enjoy this whilst the moment lasts.
Today though the task is to review the individual Manchester City player performances and to select a Man of the Match from the candidates. We shall start by looking at the defensive unit on display – albeit a makeshift one.