Manchester City regained their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League with a 3-2 victory over West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.
Raheem Sterling sealed the game in the second half after City had emerged with a slender lead from a whirlwind spell of three goals inside five minutes.
The Baggies were gifted a late consolation through a Nicolas Otamendi error, which Matt Phillips pounced on, but City still secured an eighth straight league win to reestablish their cushion over Manchester United, who made their own title statement by beating Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 this lunchtime.
Leroy Sane opened the scoring with an emphatic 10th-minute finish from Fernandinho’s pass, left footed from 15 yards out across a motionless Ben Foster.
Rather than take their beating lying down, Albion responded immediately as Jay Rodriguez lobbed a stranded Ederson from Gareth Barry’s lifted pass.
However, the Baggies retained parity for little over two minutes as Fernandinho’s shot from the edge of the box deflected off Barry and past Foster.
The visitors took control of proceedings and should have extended their advantage when David Silva, not known for his heading, nodded over from eight yards out.
Salomon Rondon does have a reputation for aerial prowess but could not get his 41st-minute header on target with one of West Brom’s few clear openings.
Paris Saint-Germain loanee Grzegorz Krychowiak had another chance shortly after the break when he spread the ball to Alan Nyom and advanced into the box to meet the full-back’s cross with a tame header that was easily held by Ederson.
Less than two minutes after his introduction as a substitute, Sterling gave the Citizens the breathing space that their dominance deserved by finishing off a flowing move with a six-yard tap in from Kyle Walker’s cross.
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