Manchester City set new Premier League record and equal another
In only four games during the Premier League era has a team gone in at half-time with a five-goal lead – City have now done in twice.
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City made short work of this afternoon’s Premier League meeting with Watford. The team romped to a 5-0 lead in just 18 minutes – the fastest any team has found the net five times in Premier League history. David Silva set City on the way after beating Ben Foster in the first minute of the game. Sergio Agüero doubled the lead from the penalty spot on seven minutes then Riyad Mahrez made it 3-0 five minutes later. Bernardo Silva headed in number four on the quarter hour – just before Nicolás Otamendi joined the spree, opening his account for the season on 18 minutes. It beats the previous record, held by Roy Hodgson’s Blackburn Rovers, who took just 24 minutes to put five goals past Sheffield Wednesday in August 1997 – although unlike City, they also conceded one in that time.
City equal their own record
City also equal the biggest half-time lead in Premier League history – a record they already held, and shared – curiously, with Sheffield Wednesday, who were five up without reply in their home game against Bolton in November 1997 – as were Mark Hughes’ Stoke City, who tore Liverpool apart in a frenzied first 45 minutes in April 2015. City led Burnley 0-5 at Turf Moor in April 2010.