Seven up Manchester City put Stoke to the sword

Manchester : Gabriel Jesus scored twice as Manchester City produced an outstanding display to thrash Stoke City 7-2 and move two points clear at the top of the Premier League yesterday.

City scored seven goals for the first time under Pep Guardiola, and for only the second time in the Premier League, as Raheem Sterling, David Silva, Fernandinho, Leroy Sane and Bernardo Silva were also on target at Eastlands.

All of this was achieved without star striker Sergio Aguero, left as an unused substitute after recovering from a broken rib suffered in a taxi crash just over two weeks ago.

City were 3-0 up after 27 minutes before Stoke briefly threatened a revival through Mame Biram Diouf’s strike and a Kyle Walker own goal.

But Guardiola’s team then powered away to secure an emphatic win that took their goal tally to 24 in their last five league games and put distance between the leaders and second-placed Manchester United.

Stoke looked stretched from the early minutes, and Sane should have given the home side a seventh minute lead, lifting a shot over the bar from close range after Kevin De Bruyne’s cross from the right had flicked off Kevin Wimmer.

City’s full-backs are a much greater attacking threat this season, with Fabian Delph slotting in seamlessly on the left following a long-term injury to Benjamin Mendy.

It was Delph who tested Jack Butland with a long-range effort that the Stoke goalkeeper gathered comfortably, but it was right-back Walker who was central to the stylish move from which Guardiola’s team took a 17th-minute lead.

Walker, played in down the right by De Bruyne’s finely judged pass in behind Wimmer, reached the byline and cut the ball back for Jesus to sweep in. Barely had Stoke absorbed that setback when they fell two goals behind, and again, the build-up play was wonderful.