Nigerian international Kelechi Iheanacho was a second substitute as Manchester City clinched third place and automatic Champions League qualification following a resounding 5-0 victory over hosts Watford in the Premier League.
The youngster, who was left out of City’s previous two games, made a shocking return to the Citizens bench and was also in action for 19 minutes after coming on Sergio Aguero.
Goals from Vincent Kompany, Aguero, Fernandinho and Gabriel Jesus made light work of a poor Watford side, who turned in a particularly abject performance during Walter Mazzarri’s final game in charge at Vicarage Road.
City got off to a fine start as they made use of some slack Watford marking, when Kompany was left free inside the area to head home from Kevin De Bruyne’s corner in the fifth minute.
The away side continued to cause all sorts of problems for a dismal Watford, this time as Aguero bagged his first of the match when collecting a through-ball from De Bruyne, before finishing neatly into the far corner beyond Heurelho Gomes.
Guardiola’s stamp was apparent for City’s third, which arrived not long after following a meticulous counter-attacking move, David Silva finding the run of Leroy Sane, who was then able to cut a perfect pass back into the path of Aguero, who made no mistake with his finish.
City’s grip on third place was fastened just before the break when they added a humiliating fourth within 43 minutes, Fernandinho making a mockery of the home defence to slot cooly past a stranded Gomes.
City grabbed a fifth later when Jesus produced a delightful lob to send the ball over the head of Gomes and into the roof of the Watford net.
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