This resounding victory helped Man City continue to lead the rankings with 80 points, 4 points more than Liverpool and play 1 more match than their opponents. Pep Guardiola's team put a lot of pressure on The Kop, before Liverpool had a derby with Everton.
Man City beat Watford in their previous 14 meetings. Therefore, the Etihad team quickly rushed forward to attack right after the opening whistle. In the 4th minute, Man City made a difference. Zinchenko crossed the ball accurately for Jesus to tap the ball into the net, scoring to open a great day for himself.
Watford had an opportunity to equalize in the 12th minute. Cancelo lost the ball from midfield, creating conditions for Dennis to run down to face goalkeeper Ederson. However, this striker handled it too slowly for the opportunity to pass. Not long after, Man City increased the gap. In the 23rd minute, Kevin de Bruyne had a classy cross, eliminating all of the visitors' defence, allowing Jesus to head the ball close to the goal, defeating goalkeeper Foster.
Watford's efforts helped them get an equalizer thanks to Kamara in the 28th minute. However, that was also the only bright spot for the away team. With home advantage and Jesus' brilliant form, Man City could not create a shock for the away team. In the 34th minute, Jesus passed the ball conveniently for Rodri to launch a dangerous shot, raising the score to 3-1.
In his previous 23 Premier League games, Jesus has scored just three goals. But in the match against Watford alone, the Brazilian striker had a better record than the previous 23 matches. After a double in the first half, Jesus continued to play brilliantly in the beginning of the second half. In the 49th minute, he took the penalty accurately, after being fouled by goalkeeper Foster himself in the penalty area, giving Man City a 4-1 lead. In the 53rd minute, he completed his poker after a sharp shot.
With 4 goals and 1 assist, Gabriel Jesus was the best player in the Man City vs Watford match. The last time a player scored a poker in the Premier League was Tottenham's Son Heung-min, nearly 2 years ago.
With a safe gap, Man City played well enough to successfully defend the 5-1 victory, thereby continuing to lead the rankings. This match is also a great momentum for Pep Guardiola and his team to prepare for the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid in the middle of next week.
