Manchester City regained their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League with a 3-2 victory over West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns this afternoon.
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.
© Offside
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 re-establish 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 lofted pass.
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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.
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Grzegorz Krychowiak had another Albion chance shortly after the break when he spread the ball to Allan 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 warranted by finishing off a flowing move with a six-yard tap in from Kyle Walker's cross.
Kevin de Bruyne and Silva, whose shot on the turn from 10 yards out on 87 minutes was brilliantly blocked by Foster, missed chances to make the scoreline even more secure before Otamendi's arrogance made stoppage time a little nervy for the league leaders.
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The Argentine defender tried to chest a cross back to Ederson, and Phillips pounced to pull one back for West Brom in the 92nd minute.
It was too late to cause too much drama as Albion's winless run was extended to eight games.
Meanwhile, City have equalled a Premier League record of 28 points from 10 matches and are looking difficult to stop.
Joe Fish
