MANCHESTER CITY completed a giant leap for men’s football with an historic thrashing of Watford. Raheem Sterling’s late hat-trick goal meant City equalled the record for FA Cup Final routs as they completed the first domestic clean sweep by a male team. David Silva’s opening goal set them on their way after Watford had made […]
MANCHESTER CITY completed a giant leap for men’s football with an historic thrashing of Watford.
Raheem Sterling’s late hat-trick goal meant City equalled the record for FA Cup Final routs as they completed the first domestic clean sweep by a male team.
David Silva’s opening goal set them on their way after Watford had made a good start and a second from Sterling before half-time all but ended the game as a contest.
Javi Gracia’s Hornets fell apart after substitute Kevin De Bruyne had made it 3-0 on the hour. Gabriel Jesus notched the fourth before Sterling completed his treble and Watford’s misery.
The Hornets will look back on the big chance they missed and the penalty they were denied before Silva’s opening goal.
In the 1 1th minute, Gerard Deulofue played in Roberto Pereyra on the break but Ederson rushed from his goal to make a fine save.
Then City skipper Vincent Kompany blocked an Abdoulaye Doucoure shot with his arm, but referee Kevin Friend waved away the appeals and VAR Andre Marriner did not intervene.
Doucoure was booked for his protests and things went from bad to worse for him when he lost possession in his own half in the build-up to Silva’s goal.
The move seemed to have broken down, but Raheem Sterling headed the ball on to the Spaniard and he sent a left-foot shot across Heurelho Gomes into the net.
A last-ditch challenge by Adrian Mariappa stopped Gabriel Jesus making it two, but the Brazilian was soon decisively involved.
Jesus ran behind Kiko Femenia to touch Bernardo Silva’s cross back into the box, Gomes failed to cut it out and Sterling was there to smash the ball in on the goal-line.
Watford rallied at the start of the second half but the best they could do was a weak shot by Deulofeu.
And the party could really start when De Bruyne, just minutes after replacing Riyad Mahrez, confidently finished off a break after being played in by Jesus.
The Brazilian added the fourth himself and then Sterling made it five to set the seal on City’s amazing season.
But the England winger’s game was not done, and he finished off a truly magnificent season by hammering home his hat-trick goal.
Sterling is the fourth player to score a hat-trick in an FA Cup final, after William Townley for Blackburn in 1890, Jimmy Logan for Notts County in 1894 and Stan Mortensen for Blackpool in 1953.
