Holebas takes the set piece and Fernandinho heads the ball to safety at the near post.
Doucoure's shot is blocked and Watford get another corner.
90' +2
Deulofeu gets to the byline and is tackled. He takes the resulting corner and Manchester City win the first header again.
90' +1
Foster comes up to the halfway line to punt the ball into the box from a free-kick. Manchester City are well organised and head the ball clear.
90'
Ederson gets yellow.
Ederson goes into the referee's book for time wasting.
There are four added minutes.
89'
Aymeric Laporte enters the game and replaces Gabriel Jesus.
Guardiola turns to his bench again. Jesus slowly walks off the pitch and is replaced by Laporte.
86'
The atmosphere has completely changed at Vicarage Road and Watford have a corner.
85'
A. Doucouré has scored a goal for Watford!
DOUCOURE SCORES! 2-1! Doucoure finally scrambles the ball home at the back post after Deulofeu's cross was punched to him by Ederson. Walker blocked Doucoure's first effort on the line but the midfielder reacted quickly to tap the ball into the net.
83'
N. Otamendi enters the game and replaces V. Kompany.
Kompany appears to have tweaked his hamstring in an earlier tackle. Otamendi replaces him.
81'
Deeney brings Delph down as Manchester City continue to tap the ball around. The referee gives a free-kick but decides against a booking.
Minute
Description
79'
Manchester City play their way out of a high press near their own box and Deeney attempts to trip Fernandinho as he carries the ball through midfield. Fernandinho remains on his feet, the referee plays advantage and the move ends when the Brazilian overhits his throughball to Mahrez.
77'
Mahrez drives into the box again and takes on Holebas. The left-back does well to read what the winger was going to do and pokes the ball behind for a corner.
75'
A. Gray enters the game and replaces I. Success.
Gray replaces Success, who had a relatively quiet night alongside Deeney.
73'
İ. Gündoğan enters the game and replaces David Silva.
David Silva is given a rest for the final 20 minutes or so as he is replaced by Gundogan.
Fernandinho is given space in midfield. He turns and delivers a long pass out to Mahrez on the wing. He controls it well again and crosses to Sane, who tries a clever reverse pass but it goes out of play for a goal kick.
71'
Sane is too eager to win the ball off Femenia by the right touchline and concedes a free-kick in a decent crossing position.
Holebas whips in a left-footed cross and Success wins the header. It goes straight at Ederson and he catches comfortably.
68'
Kompany misjudges a header from a goal kick and flicks the ball on to Success. He controls the ball on the edge of the box and shifts it onto this left. He shoots and it goes well wide.
67'
Quina drills a pass out to Success and he controls well. Success tries to thread a pass to Quina as he runs through the middle and Manchester City win it back.
65'
Manchester City are casually tapping the ball around in the Watford half with the hosts sat very deep. The ball eventually goes back to Ederson, who hits a long pass towards Sane. The winger is caught offside.
63'
Deulofeu enters the game and replaces N. Chalobah.
Deulofeu comes on for Chalobah as Watford look for a goal to get back in to this game.
Success fails to clear a corner at the near post and it drops to Bernardo Silva. The midfielder snatches at the opportunity and pulls it wide.
62'
David Silva tries to find Jesus in behind the defence with a throughball. Kabasele is nudged away from the ball by Jesus, who turns on the ball on the edge of the box and looks to shoot. Defenders get back, which forces Jesus to change his mind. He tries to pass out to the right flank and it is intercepted.
61'
Quina carries the ball across midfield and tries to spin past Fernandinho. The Brazilian reads the move and wins the ball off the youngster before finding Mahrez in space on the right. The winger shoots with his left foot and it is blocked behind for a corner.
59'
Sane and David Silva exchange passes out on the left, which almost sees Sane get to the byline. The pass it poked away for a throw in.
57'
Kompany finds Jesus with another pass through the lines and the forward looks to spread the play. He is quickly closed down by Cathcart and loses the ball.
54'
Success holds off Stones from a Foster clearance and controls. Mahrez rushes in to win possession and gives away a free kick near the halfway line.
52'
Domingos Quina enters the game and replaces W. Hughes.
Quina comes on in place of Hughes, who was clearly still struggling with the injury.
51'
R. Mahrez has scored a goal for Manchester City! Assist by Gabriel Jesus.
Jesus was played in behind the Watford defence by David Silva and cut the ball back to Mahrez.
MAHREZ MAKES IT 2-0 TO MANCHESTER CITY! Mahrez is left in space 15 yards from goal at the back post and drives the ball into the net with his left foot.
50'
Mahrez takes on Holebas yet again and gets into the box, but he cannot find a way past and turns back. He passes to Walker, who sets himself for a cross which he overhits.
48'
David Silva hits an inch-perfect, 50-yard crossfield pass to Mahrez. The winger controls it perfectly and plays the ball to the overlapping Walker. His cross is blocked.
46'
The referee gets the game back underway for the second half.
45' +2
HALF-TIME: WATFORD 0-1 MANCHESTER CITY
45' +1
Mahrez completely beats Holebas with a magical piece of skill on the byline to win a free-kick. He picks himself up to drive a free-kick across goal and Success heads clear.
45'
There is one added minute at the end of the first half.
44'
Manchester City press high with the ball near Watford's corner flag and Bernardo Silva trips Chalobah. Watford have a chance to get up the pitch and Deeney wins the first header but Pereyra cannot control the flick on.
42'
Mahrez gets in behind the defence down the Manchester City right but only manages a weak, toe-poked effort that goes into the side netting after pressure from Kabasele.
40'
L. Sané has scored a goal for Manchester City! Assist by R. Mahrez.
Fernandinho beats Deeney in the air from a Foster goal kick and the Watford striker appeals for a foul. The referee is not interested in his complaints.
Mahrez is credited with the assist for another sublime, inswinging cross with his left foot.
SANE GIVES MANCHESTER CITY A 1-0 LEAD! Sane arrives late at the back post and chests home past a leaping Foster.
38'
Sane has space to run into on the left and is quickly closed down by Femenia. The full-back forces the winger to pass the ball back into midfield which allows his team-mates to get back into shape.
36'
David Silva plays a pass into Fernandinho in midfield and the Brazilian midfielder underhits his first-time ball to Kompany. He crudely fouls Hughes and is lucky to avoid a yellow card.
34'
Cathcart plays an aerial ball into Deeney, who wins the header against Stones again. His flick on is nowhere near a Watford shirt and Kompany plays it back to Ederson.
30'
Watford string a few passes together between their midfield and defence until Kabasele chips the ball out of play. Manchester City have the ball back.
28'
Walker carries the ball down the right and is challenged by Doucoure. The Manchester City man is strong to bump the midfielder off the ball and gets a cross in, but it is well overhit.
27'
Hughes rides a Kompany challenge on the right flank and Watford look to have a chance to break. Femenia is slow to support, though, and Manchester City get men back behind the ball.
25'
Holebas dances past a couple of challenges to make his way into the Manchester City area and plays a reverse pass to Success. The striker tries to cross and it is blocked.
22'
Watford's first attack in quite some time ends with a long-range Chalobah shot that Ederson saves easily.
20'
A rare mistake in possession from Manchester City as Stones' pass goes out for a throw.
16'
Mahrez and David Silva work a short corner which sees Mahrez get into the box. Watford force the ball behind for another corner.
15'
A long period of build-up play from Manchester City comes to an end when an ambitious Bernardo Silva cross is claimed by Foster.
13'
Kabasele is forced to scramble the ball behind for a corner after a well-worked free-kick from Manchester City almost puts Sane in on goal. The corner misses everyone and Watford have a rare spell of possession.
12'
Mahrez gets a cross in from the right which David Silva narrowly misses with a diving header. Watford clear the ball and Manchester City regain possession.
9'
Deeney plays a clever short pass to Pereyra between Stones and Walker on the left. The attacking midfielder runs onto the pass and dribbles past a sliding Fernandinho. He shoots with his right, aiming for the far corner, but it goes wide.
7'
Mahrez takes on Holebas down the right side of the penalty area. He shows quick feet to get the ball past the left-back, but Holebas uses his body well and shields the ball out of play.
6'
Bernardo Silva exchanges passes with Walker down the right flank before squaring up Pereyra. The midfielder cuts onto his left foot to whip in a cross which Watford head clear.
4'
Chalobah crosses from the set piece to Deeney. The centre forward wins the first header but he is ruled offside.
3'
Watford earn a free-kick on the halfway line after a high foot from Delph on Success.
1'
The referee blows his whistle and we are underway!
Ederson launches a long pass towards Mahrez on the right. The ball is too high for the winger and Watford get a throw.
Good evening and welcome to the live commentary of the Premier League match between Watford and Manchester City.
Watford come into this match on a poor run of form, having taken one point from the last 12 available and scored just one goal in the process. The Hornets started the season brilliantly, but this dip has seen them drop down to 10th. Javi Gracia’s side have been solid at the back this term, though few will expect them to keep Manchester City out this evening.
Manchester City have won their last six Premier League matches and look unstoppable right now. They are only two points ahead of Liverpool at the top of the table but have a chance to extend that lead to five points before Jurgen Klopp’s men play tomorrow night. Pep Guardiola’s side will fancy their chances of making it seven consecutive league victories against the struggling Hornets.
Let’s take a look at the teams, starting with the hosts.
WATFORD (4-2-2-2): Ben Foster; Kiko Femenia, Craig Cathcart, Christian Kabasele, Jose Holebas; Abdoulaye Doucoure, Nathaniel Chalobah; Will Hughes, Roberto Pereyra; Troy Deeney, Isaac Success.
SUBS: Adrian Mariappa, Ben Wilmot, Heurelho Gomes, Andre Gray, Gerard Deulofeu, Domingos Quina, Adam Masina.
MANCHESTER CITY (4-3-3): Ederson; Kyle Walker, Vincent Kompany, John Stones, Fabian Delph; Bernardo Silva, Fernandinho, David Silva; Riyad Mahrez, Gabriel Jesus, Leroy Sane.
SUBS: Nicolas Otamendi, Phil Foden, Raheem Sterling, Aymeric Laporte, Ilkay Gundogan, Danilo, Arijanet Muric.
Manchester City hold a 1-0 lead at the break against Watford at Vicarage Road. The visitors completely dominated the first half and could easily have scored several times before Sane gave them the lead in the 40th minute. Foster has been on top form to keep Watford in the game.
Guardiola will be content with how his side have performed, though he will be slightly frustrated they have not scored more. He may turn to Sterling if his team do not score early in the second half. Watford had one big chance that fell to Deeney, but they have struggled to keep the ball. Deulofeu is an option off the bench to provide extra pace on the break. The hosts will probably need more heroics from Foster if they are going to get back into this game.
Guardiola will be delighted that Manchester City managed to get the victory, though he will be disappointed they did not win more comfortably. Jesus’ missed chances made it a lot more stressful than it should have been. Watford should be proud of their performance, particularly Foster, who kept his side in the game with several brilliant saves. Both teams have tough fixtures coming up. Manchester City head to London to play Chelsea on Saturday evening and Watford travel to Goodison Park to face Everton on Monday night as they look to end their five match winless streak.
Thanks for joining our commentary this evening. Until next time, goodbye.
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