Home ›› 06 Dec 2021 ›› Sport
Bernardo Silva backed up Pep Guardiola’s claim he is the best player in the Premier League right now by scoring twice as Manchester City cruised to the top of the Premier League with a 3-1 win at Watford.
Silva’s sumptuous cushioned volley against Aston Villa in midweek earned Guardiola’s glowing praise and he produced two more fine finishes to take his tally to seven goals in his last 12 PL games.
“Thanks to Bernardo because he made me not wrong,” said City boss Guardiola. “I know he’s so humble, there are top players in the Premier League and he is doing so well.”
In stark contrast to Manchester United’s 4-1 humbling at Vicarage Road a fortnight ago that ended Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reign, City virtually killed the match as a contest within four minutes.
Phil Foden picked out Raheem Sterling at the back post for the simplest of headers to open the scoring. Silva slotted home from a narrow angle to double the visitors’ lead and produced a stunning strike into the top corner after the break.
“The game could have been over after 15 minutes,” added Guardiola, whose side took advantage of Chelsea’s 3-2 defeat at West Ham to move one point clear of Liverpool at the top of the table.
Bayern down Dortmund
Robert Lewandowski scored twice as Bayern Munich opened up a four-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga with a 3-2 win at second-placed Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.
Julian Brandt and Erling Haaland scored Dortmund’s goals at Signal Iduna Park, but Lewandowski netted and converted the winning penalty, either side of a Kingsley Coman goal.
Dortmund coach Marco Rose was shown a red card for arguing with the referee after a Mats Hummels handball led to Lewandowski converting the key spot-kick 12 minutes from time.
“In the first half, we should have led by more and in terms of how we played, I’m not sure we deserved to win,” said Bayern forward Thomas Mueller.
This was Bayern’s seventh straight win over Dortmund, including five Bundesliga victories and two German Super Cup triumphs.
Dortmund were unhappy to not be awarded a penalty after Marco Reus appeared to be fouled just before Lewandowski’s crucial spot kick.
“We always had the feeling that we could win. That’s why it’s doubly bitter that we lost like that,” fumed Reus.
Real ease past Sociedad
Real Madrid stretched their lead at the top of La Liga to eight points on Saturday with a slick 2-0 win over Real Sociedad but the victory was tarnished by an injury to Karim Benzema.
Carlo Ancelotti said Benzema is likely now to miss Tuesday’s Champions League game at home to Inter Milan although was hopeful the striker could return to face Atletico Madrid next weekend.
Madrid’s eighth consecutive win proved even more valuable after both Atletico and Barcelona lost.
Barcelona stay seventh, now a hefty 16 points behind Real Madrid, while Atletico drop to fourth, six points in front of Barca, but 10 points off the top.
