Match ends, Manchester City 8, Watford 0.
Five goals in the first 18 minutes set Manchester City on their way as they ripped apart a woeful Watford team to cut Liverpool's lead at the top of the Premier League to two points.
City had already bounced back from last weekend's humbling by Norwich with a clinical Champions League win at Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday, but this was a timely reminder of their ruthlessness and attacking power.
Bernardo Silva scored a hat-trick as Pep Guardiola's side ran riot to clinch their biggest league win since he took charge in 2016. They also hit the woodwork twice and continued to chase further goals until the end, but a record victory eluded them.
Manchester United's 9-0 win over Ipswich in 1995 remains the biggest victory in the Premier League era but City become only the seventh team to win a top-flight game by an eight-goal margin in the modern era.
City scored the opener after 52 seconds through David Silva before Sergio Aguero added a penalty and Riyad Mahrez struck via a deflection.
Bernardo Silva headed the fourth and Nicolas Otamendi slid in the fifth. After the break City's intensity eased but Bernardo Silva struck twice more and Kevin de Bruyne slammed in the eighth.
City's early onslaught
After David Silva got on the end of a brilliantly bending cross from De Bruyne to slide home from six yards, Watford almost hit back immediately. Gerard Deulofeu went round Nicolas Otamendi with an ease that will worry City boss Pep Guardiola, but saw his shot saved by an onrushing Ederson.
From then on, the home side took complete control - aided by a defensive horror show by the Hornets that saw them suffer an even bigger nightmare than when City hit them for six in the FA Cup final last May.
Ben Foster gave away a needless penalty when he rushed from his line to send Mahrez tumbling, with Aguero converting from the spot, and things quickly got worse for the visitors.
Mahrez made it 3-0 after 12 minutes when his free-kick deflected in off Tom Cleverley, and after 15 minutes it was 4-0 when more dreadful marking allowed Bernardo Silva to stoop and head home after Otamendi flicked on a corner.
Otamendi himself made it 5-0 shortly afterwards when he turned in Aguero's clever cut-back, before City gave their fans a rest from further celebrations - for a little while at least.
The onslaught continued after half-time when Bernardo Silva slotted home from a David Silva pass to make it 6-0, and he completed his first hat-trick for City when he converted another De Bruyne cross on the hour mark.
De Bruyne, one of the key orchestrators of this attacking masterclass, got his name on the scoresheet before the end too, casually smashing home City's eighth with five minutes left.
City's fans urged their team forward for more goals - and United's record - but for once on what was a painful afternoon for them, Watford's defence held out.
A reality check for Sanchez Flores
The only consolation for Quique Sanchez Flores, who was overseeing only his second game since being reappointed as Watford boss, is that his side do not have to play City every week.
After the high of his side's spirited second-half comeback to draw against Arsenal last week, this was a reminder of why they are bottom of the table, and winless so far this season.
Their miserable afternoon was summed up by the sight of Dimitri Foulquier trudging off on his Premier League debut as he was substituted after only 32 minutes, with his side already five goals down.
Sanchez Flores has work to do to lift morale before his side play more winnable games in weeks to come.
City respond with show of strength
Liverpool can restore their five-point advantage at the top of the table by beating Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday but this was a statement that City are still a force to contend with in the title race.
In a week where their supposed defensive weakness has been an ongoing topic of discussion, City responded with an impressive show of attacking strength.
There will be bigger tests of their back-line, of course, and the way Otamendi went so weakly to ground when Deulofeu ran at him was not exactly a reassuring sight.
But with City in this kind of form - even with the prolific Raheem Sterling left on the bench - there will be few teams who can live with them.
Man of the match - Kevin de Bruyne
Bernardo's big day - stats
- Manchester City's five goals after just 18 minutes was the fastest any side has gone 5-0 ahead in a Premier League match.
- Watford have lost their past 12 competitive games against Manchester City - their longest losing run against a single opponent.
- Manchester City's 8-0 victory against Watford was their biggest win in the English top flight.
- This was Watford's heaviest defeat in the top four tiers of English football and only the third time they've conceded eight goals in a league game (8-1 v Aberdare Athletic in January 1926 and 8-1 v Crystal Palace in September 1959).
- This is the first time an English top-flight side has scored 6+ goals in back-to-back meetings in all competitions with another top-flight club since Chelsea v Wigan in 2010.
- David Silva's opener was the fastest goal scored in the Premier League this season.
- Since his Man City debut in September 2015, Kevin De Bruyne has provided more Premier League assists than any other player (52).
- Sergio Aguero became the first player to score in seven consecutive Premier League appearances since Romelu Lukaku in December 2015.
What's next?
Manchester City begin their defence of the Carabao Cup at Championship side Preston on Tuesday with Watford hosting another high-flying second-tier side, Swansea, on the same night (both 19:45 BST kick-offs).
Both teams are in action in the Premier League next Saturday. Watford travel to fellow strugglers Wolves (15:00 BST) while City have a trip to Goodison Park to face Everton (17:30 BST).
Line-ups
Man City
Formation 4-3-3
- 31Ederson
- 2WalkerSubstituted forCanceloat 54'minutes
- 30OtamendiSubstituted forGarciaat 63'minutes
- 25Fernandinho
- 22MendySubstituted forAngelinoat 45'minutesBooked at 81mins
- 17De Bruyne
- 16Rodri
- 21Silva
- 26Mahrez
- 10Agüero
- 20Bernardo SilvaBooked at 19mins
Substitutes
- 1Bravo
- 7Sterling
- 8Gündogan
- 9Gabriel Jesus
- 12Angelino
- 27Cancelo
- 50Garcia
Watford
Formation 4-4-1-1
- 26Foster
- 21FemeníaBooked at 59mins
- 4Dawson
- 6Mariappa
- 25Holebas
- 36FoulquierSubstituted forPereyraat 33'minutes
- 29Capoue
- 16Doucouré
- 19HughesSubstituted forSarrat 59'minutes
- 8Cleverley
- 7DeulofeuBooked at 59minsSubstituted forGrayat 77'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Gomes
- 2Janmaat
- 14Chalobah
- 18Gray
- 23Sarr
- 27Kabasele
- 37Pereyra
- Referee:
- Mike Dean
- Attendance:
- 54,273
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home69%
- Away31%
- Shots
- Home28
- Away5
- Shots on Target
- Home11
- Away4
- Corners
- Home5
- Away4
- Fouls
- Home5
- Away9
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Manchester City 8, Watford 0.
Post update
Attempt saved. Bernardo Silva (Manchester City) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Kevin De Bruyne.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by David Silva.
Post update
Attempt saved. Andre Gray (Watford) header from the left side of the six yard box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by José Holebas.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Tom Cleverley (Watford) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Andre Gray.
Post update
Attempt missed. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Sergio Agüero.
Goal!
Goal! Manchester City 8, Watford 0. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) right footed shot from the left side of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Riyad Mahrez.
Post update
Offside, Manchester City. David Silva tries a through ball, but Riyad Mahrez is caught offside.
Booking
Angeliño (Manchester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Foul by Angeliño (Manchester City).
Post update
Andre Gray (Watford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Attempt saved. Rodrigo (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Bernardo Silva.
Post update
Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Craig Dawson.
Substitution
Substitution, Watford. Andre Gray replaces Gerard Deulofeu.
Post update
Attempt missed. Rodrigo (Manchester City) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.
Post update
Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Craig Dawson.
Post update
Corner, Watford. Conceded by Fernandinho.
Post update
Corner, Watford. Conceded by Ederson.
Post update
Attempt saved. Gerard Deulofeu (Watford) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Tom Cleverley.
Comments
Join the conversation
A. Every few minutes.
All the muppets on here saying us winning by 8 shows how poor the league is, clearly have short memories, because United did Ipswich by 9 in 95 Chelsea have had a couple of 8-0 wins and Southampton beat Sunderland by 8 a couple yrs back. We ain't gonna win every game by 8. Stop being so bitter you morons. CTID
BY PAYING MAN CITY £1,000,000M FOR HACKING CITY'S ACADEMY.
STRANGE?. NOT REALLY
Goals galore.
Will be unstoppable again this season.
There's only one club in Manchester.
Klopp has nothing but good stuff to say about MCFC
Why can't the fans say the same? Granted are juvenile fans (for any club) but most of us want football talk here.
City dismantled a PL team 8-0 no easy feat however you look at it. Lets enjoy another pulsating title race.
Watford were woeful and City brilliant.
I expect most of the top teams to wallop Watford.
Will there be enough time on MOTD to show any other matches?
Not a pop at Watford…
…We were walloped on opening day so I feel your pain.
Hammers supporter.