Man City set top-flight win record with Watford thrashing

Manchester City set a new club record for their biggest top-flight win with an 8-0 thrashing of Watford on Saturday.

City led in the first minute when David Silva was set up by Kevin De Bruyne, with the champions maintaining their frantic early scoring pace to go 5-0 up inside 18 minutes.

That in itself was a Premier League record, but City could not quite manage to equal the competition’s biggest ever win, Manchester United’s 9-0 defeat of Ipswich Town in 1995.

Bernardo Silva hit a hat-trick as City impressively bounced back from a shock loss at the hands of injury-hit Norwich City last time out in league action.

1′  @21LVA
7′  @aguerosergiokun (PEN)
12′  @Mahrez22
15′  @BernardoCSilva
18′  @Notamendi30
48′  @BernardoCSilva
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85′  @DeBruyneKev

You’ll do for us, lads.

 8-0  #MCIWAT #ManCity pic.twitter.com/0G6Bx81LEa

— Manchester City (@ManCity) September 21, 2019

The emphatic result boosts their goal difference to +18 and moves them within two points of leaders Liverpool, who are away to Chelsea on Sunday.

As for bottom club Watford – who replaced Javi Gracia with Quique Sanchez Flores earlier this month – they will have to reflect on their heaviest defeat in league competition.

City also humiliated Watford in last season’s FA Cup final, running out 6-0 winners with Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling each scoring a brace at Wembley.