Raheem Sterling hits hat-trick as Manchester City crush Brighton
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Updated 11/07/2020 at 21:14 GMT
Amex Stadium, Premier League - Brighton 0 Manchester City 5 (Sterling 23' 51' 81' Jesus 44' Bernardo Silva 56')
Manchester City's English midfielder Raheem Sterling (2L) celebrates scoring during the English Premier League football match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Manchester City at the American Express Community Stadium in Brighton, southern England on J
Image credit: Getty Images
Raheem Sterling’s second Premier League hat-trick of the season helped Manchester City thrash Brighton 5-0 at the Amex Stadium, with the win ensuring City will finish second this season.
Sterling got the ball rolling in the 21st minute, before Gabriel Jesus scored his second in as many games just before half time to put City in command.
A second of the game for Sterling took his tally to 26 goals for the season in all competitions – his best-ever season tally – in the 53rd minute, before Bernardo Silva netted his first league goal since November to make it four three minutes later.
Sterling then completed the rout in bizarre fashion nine minutes from time, with the ball hitting him on the head as he fell before rolling in, to steer City too far clear of the chasing pack, meaning they are sure to finish behind Liverpool.
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Pep Guardiola rang the changes once again for City as he and his side looked to end a run of three successive league defeats away from home, but when City rotate, they are rarely ever weakened, with one of those returnees, Sterling, drilling home from 20 yards to put City in front.
Brighton tired to commit bodies forward, but City had too much quality on the counter, pegging the hosts back. Jesus almost made it two as his deflected shot hit the crossbar, before the Brazilian made it 20 for the season just before the interval, tapping home from a corner.
After the break, City continued on the front foot, with the brilliant Mahrez clipping a fantastic cross onto the head of Sterling, who made no mistake from close range to take him two clear as City’s second top Premier League goalscorer in the club’s history.
Mat Ryan’s fumble then allowed Bernardo to score his long overdue goal to make sure of the victory, with Sterling completing the rout late on, not in a manner he would like to complete a hat-trick, but he will not care one bit as he heads back to Manchester with the match ball.
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City celebrate their win at Brighton
Image credit: Getty Images
TALKING POINT
No sign on City distraction. Monday is judgement day for City. If their appeal against their two-year ban from the Champions League is not successful, there could be a great deal of change at the club, with plenty of players tipped to head for pastures new, without European football to keep them interested. Yet, in their final match before such a huge day, they showed zero sign of any distraction, and were at their brilliant best. That is two five-goal hauls in two weeks - their focus really does very rarely slip.
MAN OF THE MATCH - Raheem Sterling.
Who else? Supposedly not at his best for much of this season, 27 goals in all competitions is a fine return. Sterling is now just two goals behind Danny Ings and Mo Salah in joint third in the Premier League top goalscorers' chart. The England forward continues to come on leaps and bounds under Pep Guardiola.
PLAYER RATINGS
Brighton: Ryan 6, Montoya 6, Dunk 6, Webster 5, Bernardo 6, Bissouma 6, Gross 6, Mooy 5, Propper 5, Trossard 5, Connolly 6... Subs: Lamptey 6, Stephens 6, Maupay 6, Jahanbaksh 6, Burn N/A.
Manchester City: Ederson 6, Walker 7, Garcia 6, Laporte 7, Mendy 7, Rodri 7, De Bruyne 8, Bernardo Silva 7, Sterling 9, Jesus 8, Mahrez 9.... Subs: Stones 6, Zinchenko 6, David Silva 7, Fernandinho 6, Foden 6.
KEY MOMENTS
21’ - GGGOOOOOAAALLLLL!!!!! Brighton 0-1 Man City. It had been coming. Sterling with the fine finish to break the deadlock. Mahrez with the ball into Jesus, who nods it down for Sterling. The City forward gets the ball out of his feet, and drills into the bottom corner from 20 yards. That is 25 goals in all competitions for Sterling.
44’ - GGGGOOOOAAALLLLL!!!! Brighton 0-2 Man City. Jesus taps in at the far post to make it two. Two in two now for Jesus. De Bruyne with the corner, Rodri flicks on and Jesus arrives right on cue to convert from a yard out.
51’ - POST! Brilliant free-kick from captain De Bruyne, over the wall, but the ball cannons back off the post. Looked like it was flying straight in.
53’ - GGGGOOOOAALLLLLL!!!!! Brighton 0-3 Man City. Sterling with the header to make it three. That is now 26 goals for Sterling - his best-ever season tally. Super cross from Mahrez, right onto the head of Sterling, who could not miss.
56’ - GGGOOOOOAAALLLLL!!! Brighton 0-4 Man City. This is tough on Brighton as Bernardo Silva gets in on the act to make it four. First in 20 leagues games for Bernardo! His shot was initially saved by Mat Ryan, who should have gathered, but the Australian let the ball slip. Jesus was on hand to convert the rebound, but it fell for Bernardo who tucked the ball home.
81’ - GGGGOOOOOAAALLLLL!!! Brighton 0-5 Man City. What a bizarre way to bring up your hat-trick as Sterling makes five.They all count! Sterling lofted the ball over the defender, was tackled to the floor, but as he fell, the ball hit him on the head, rolled through the legs of Ryan and in!
KEY STATS
- Manchester City have won their last two Premier League games by 5+ goals, the first time this has happened in the Premier League since City themselves did so in three consecutive games in September 2017.
- Brighton suffered their worst home Premier League defeat since losing 5-0 to Bournemouth in April 2019.
- Since the 2015/16 season when he joined Manchester City, only Harry Kane (9) and Sergio Aguero (7) have scored more Premier League hat-tricks than Raheem Sterling (4).
- Gabriel Jesus has scored in 32 Premier League games for Man City – they have won 31 of those games and drew the other. City have now won their last 29 Premier League games when Jesus has scored.
- This was Graham Potter’s heaviest ever home defeat as a manager and his joint-heaviest overall, also losing 5-0 in May 2016 as Östersunds FK manager away at GIF Sundsvall in the Swedish Allsvenskan.
- Gabriel Jesus became the third Man City to reach 20 goals in all competitions this season (also Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling), with City having the most players to have scored 20 goals for a team in Europe’s top five leagues in all competitions in 2019-20.
- Riyad Mahrez has registered 13 assists in all competitions for Man City, with this his best tally of assists in a season in all competitions as a Premier League player.
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