Watford 0-4 Manchester City: Premier League – as it happened

David Hytner was at Vicarage Road to see Raheem Sterling put Watford to the sword yet again. Here’s his report. Thanks for reading this MBM!

Watford keeper Ben Foster speaks. “I don’t think we helped ourselves. It’s a case of confidence at the minute, it’s so crazy low. I don’t know why that is. You get in a state of trying to minimise the damage, but it’s such a dangerous way to approach games. But they’re Man City, they’re very, very good. We’re well versed in what goes on at this club, it is what it is, you honestly get used to it in football nowadays, nothing ever seems to shock, you’ve just got to roll with the punches. You can’t blame anyone else for our own performances, we’ve got to look at ourselves. We’ve got a massive game on Sunday, and that’s all we’ve got to look at now.”

Manchester City are now on 78 points with one game to play. They’re 15 shy of the new champions Liverpool, who have two matches still to go. But yes, of course this match was really about the other end of the table. Watford remain in 17th on 34 points, three ahead of Aston Villa and Bournemouth. But their goal difference has taken a hit, and now all three of the relegation scrappers are on minus 27 goals. Should Villa beat Arsenal later tonight, Watford will be shunted into the relegation places. Regarding that match, Paul Doyle, like a pint of plain, is your only man.

90 min +5: Cancelo crosses from the right. Jesus rises. He plants a header into the top right, Foster rooted to the spot. But he’s offside, so up goes the flag. You never know, those millimetres could make all the difference to Watford if the relegation places end up being decided on goal difference.

90 min +3: City stroke it around as Watford chase shadows. Just like it’s been since the get-go.

90 min +1: Hughes is booked for cynically hauling back a marauding Foden.

88 min: De Bruyne scoops a pass down the left to release Zinchenko into the box. But Zinchenko has needlessly gone too early, and up goes the offside flag.

84 min: Sarr barges into the back of Jesus, who was thinking about causing bother down the left. Free kick.

81 min: Foden taps the free kick to De Bruyne, who dribbles into the box before spraying a pass wide to Mahrez, who can’t get a shot away. Too clever by half, and Watford clear.

80 min: Foden knocks the ball past Mariappa and wins the footrace. Mariappa is forced to drag him back just before he enters the box. A free kick to the left of the area, and a booking for the cynical challenge.