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EPL REVIEW: MANCHESTER CITY RETAIN PREMIER LEAGUE LEAD AFTER LIVERPOOL DRAW

Manchester City retained their slender lead at the Premier League summit as their crunch clash with title rivals Liverpool ended in a thrilling 2-2 draw.

Kevin De Bruyne fired the champions into a fifth-minute lead at the Etihad Stadium but Diogo Jota levelled eight minutes later for the second-placed Reds.

Gabriel Jesus restored City’s advantage before the break but Sadio Mane marked his 30th birthday with a second equaliser for Jurgen Klopp’s men.

Raheem Sterling thought he had put City ahead for a third time against his former club but VAR ruled against him in a tight offside decision and substitute Riyad Mahrez hit the post late on.

The result ended Liverpool’s 10-match winning league run and left City a point clear with just seven games of the season remaining.

Goals from Pierre Lees-Melou and Teemu Pukki helped reinvigorate Norwich’s slim survival hopes with a 2-0 home win over relegation rivals Burnley.

The Canaries were 10 points from safety before kick-off, but Lees-Melou’s early deflected strike gave Dean Smith’s men a precious lead and Pukki’s composed finish late on clinched a first Premier League victory in nine attempts.

It could be too little too late for bottom club Norwich, who remain in a perilous position but at least has kept 18th-placed Burnley within touching distance and dealt a serious blow to the visitors’ own chances of beating the drop.

Bryan Mbeumo and Ivan Toney combined to sink West Ham 2-0 and surely banish any lingering relegation fears for Brentford.

Two second-half goals lifted the Bees 12 points clear of the Premier League drop zone after a Sunday afternoon stroll in the west London sunshine.

Mbeumo lashed in the opener after being teed up by Toney, and then returned the favour for his strike partner as Toney grabbed his 14th goal of the season.

For West Ham it was another dent in their fading hopes of a top-four finish, and they were also dealt a potentially massive blow with Thursday night’s Europa League second leg against Lyon in mind when defender Kurt Zouma was forced to limp out of the action midway through the first half.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall inspired Leicester to a narrow 2-1 win over Crystal Palace.

The midfielder’s first Premier League goal came after a sublime assist for Ademola Lookman’s opener to give the Foxes the perfect preparation for Thursday’s trip to PSV.

They go to Eindhoven for their Europa Conference League quarter-final second leg with the tie poised at 0-0 but have momentum after just two defeats in their last 10 outings.

Kasper Schmeichel saved two Wilfried Zaha penalties – after VAR ordered a retake – only for the striker to nod in the rebound from the second which gave Palace second-half hope.

But a leveller never came and the Foxes move above Palace to ninth in the Premier League. The Eagles saw a seven-game unbeaten run come to an end, which had propelled them to Wembley for next week’s FA Cup semi-final with Chelsea.

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City must win all remaining games or title race is over

Pep Guardiola suggested Manchester City missed the chance to claim victory when on top against Liverpool and insisted his side must win all their remaining Premier League games otherwise the title race will be over.

Liverpool were as far as 14 points behind in mid-January, but a 10-game winning run in the league slashed City’s lead to just one point to set up what was billed as the title decider at the Etihad Stadium.

Kevin De Bruyne struck after just five minutes with his sixth goal in as many games on Sunday, before Diogo Jota soon restored parity in a thrilling end-to-end affair.

Gabriel Jesus then found the net against Liverpool for a fifth time in all competitions, only scoring more for City against Everton (eight), to send Jurgen Klopp’s side in at half-time trailing in the league for the first time this season.

Sadio Mane immediately levelled after the interval to keep the title race alive and Guardiola called on City to win their remaining seven games to win the league.

“Both teams wanted to try to win, we did everything we could but unfortunately we could not win,” he told Sky Sports.

“I had the feeling we handed them a life, but listen Liverpool is a joy to watch and the threats they have in attack, how good they are, so no doubts about how difficult they are.

“But I think we performed really, really well, I’m so incredibly proud of my team. Now, both teams know with seven games left we have to win all of them, otherwise it will be over.

“In Anfield, we played an incredible first half and it was the same result, I had the feeling we missed an opportunity to get three points but it doesn’t matter what happened this game, this was never going to be over.

“I would say the same with defeat, or victory, this was massive game to take advantage of, but we know what we have to do.

“Go to [Atletico] Madrid [in the Champions League quarter-final return leg], then FA Cup [semi-final against Liverpool] then back to the Premier League and win as many as possible.

“Seven games in the Premier League is a lot to play, it will be tough, I don’t know whether we are going to win the title at the end of the season but to be in the game, like we played today, it makes me admire a lot to perform that way.”

Guardiola also hailed the work of Jesus, who has scored four times against Klopp’s Liverpool in the Premier League, as he explained his match-by-match plan for each specific opponent.

“Gabriel Jesus deserves to play a lot, he is a fantastic person but all of them, [Ilkay] Gundogan, Ruben [Dias] they all have quality but we thought we could find spaces with the players we put out for the way they pressed today,” he added.

“Maybe next Saturday [in the FA Cup semi-final] from what we saw, maybe we change something. I put out a specially specific line-up for the demands of the team we are going to play, not because of who I prefer.”

Klopp and Guardiola are familiar foes, given their time spent managing Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich in Germany, and the Spaniard expressed his admiration for his opposite number.

“Listen, I don’t know if Jurgen respects me but I respect him a lot, he has made me a better manager with his sides in Germany with Bayern and Dortmund, and then here,” he added.

“His teams are always positive and want to attack, I try to imitate him in that sense. We are not friends, we don’t have dinner together, I don’t call him but I have a lot of respect for him, but he knows next Saturday I’m going to try and beat him.”

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Sadio Mane keeps Liverpool title hopes alive

Sadio Mane kept Liverpool in the Premier League title hunt with a priceless second-half equaliser in a gripping 2-2 draw with leaders Manchester City.

Jurgen Klopp’s side sat 14 points behind City in January, but a 10-game winning run cut the gap to just one point to set up what many billed as a title decider at the Etihad Stadium.

Diogo Jota cancelled out Kevin De Bruyne’s opener in an enthralling start, and Mane followed suit swiftly after the interval following Gabriel Jesus’ 36th-minute strike.

Neither side could find a winner, with Raheem Sterling seeing a goal disallowed, as Pep Guardiola’s home side kept their slender lead intact with seven games left to play.

Sterling squandered a glorious chance after five minutes as he was denied by the onrushing Alisson following a square Jesus pass, but City were ahead just seconds later.

De Bruyne profited from a quick Bernardo Silva free-kick before arrowing a left-footed effort home, the ball going in off the right post following a fortuitous deflection off Joel Matip.

Liverpool responded within eight minutes, with Andy Robertson finding Trent Alexander-Arnold, who played the ball back from the far post for Jota to squeeze a low strike under Ederson.

De Bruyne whipped narrowly wide in search of his second before Jesus latched onto a Joao Cancelo cross and coolly finished via the underside of the crossbar.

Mane levelled up within a minute of the second half getting under way, racing onto Mohamed Salah’s throughball to slot powerfully past Ederson, who thwarted Jota’s prodded effort shortly after.

Sterling thought he had nudged the hosts ahead again, but a VAR check showed the forward was offside when De Bruyne passed the ball, while Salah curled just off target at the other end.

Substitute Riyad Mahrez provided a late scare for the visitors as he clipped the post with a free-kick, and then chipped over after a sublime De Bruyne pass, but there would be no decisive goal.

his result defied a trend for when the Premier League has seen its top two meet in the final 10 games of a season. In the last eight such meetings, prior to this, the team starting the day in second place had won seven times – including the last five in a row.

City, who have now not lost against Klopp’s side in the last five Premier League meetings (W2 D3), seemed set to take the three points when they became the first team to lead Liverpool at half-time in the league this season, but Mane’s composed finish means this race has a long way still to run.

De Bruyne’s excellence was on show as he lashed in his sixth goal in as many games – netting in four games in a row for City in all competitions for the first time – before Jesus came to haunt Liverpool once more.

He has only scored more for City against Everton (eight) than against the Reds in all competitions (five), while this was the fourth time he has netted in the league against Klopp’s side. Jamie Vardy (eight) and Harry Kane (six) are the only players to score more past Klopp’s Reds.

Salah-Mane link-up delivers

Mane and Salah have combined for 21 Premier League goals for Liverpool, with only Robbie Fowler and Steve McManaman coupling up for more (24).

While the Egypt forward has just one goal in his last eight games across all competitions, and has not scored in the league in open play since February 19, Klopp will be pleased with his forward’s contributions amid ongoing contract negotiations.

Mane’s goal was timed at coming just 46 seconds into the second half, catching City cold.

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UCL LAST EIGHT: DE BRUYNE GIVES MAN CITY ADVANTAGE OVER ATLETICO MADRID

Kevin De Bruyne struck 20 minutes from time as Manchester City grabbed a slender advantage in their Champions League quarter-final against Atletico Madrid.

The Belgian playmaker fired home from a tight angle after Phil Foden came off the bench to stunning effect in a tense and tight first leg at the Etihad Stadium.

Atletico were their usual dogged, defensive selves for most of the game and frustrated City despite the hosts’ dominance of possession.

Yet the introduction of Foden as part of a triple substitution by Pep Guardiola in the 68th minute paid almost immediate dividends.

Within moments he had slipped in De Bruyne with a delicate through ball and he finished firmly to put City in control heading into next week’s second leg in the Spanish capital.

Atletico boss Diego Simeone had promised Atletico would play their usual cagey game and he was as good as his word, forcing City to play patiently.

The first half was played at a slow tempo with City controlling most of the ball but, despite having all their outfield players in the final third at times, being unable to create openings.

De Bruyne and Joao Cancelo both had efforts deflected wide and Aymeric Laporte missed the target with a header.

Raheem Sterling felt he should have had a free-kick on the left edge of the area after a good run and Bernardo Silva went down in the box moments later but nothing was given.

Ilkay Gundogan shot well over and Rodri had a long-range effort blocked before De Bruyne had a penalty appeal turned down and John Stones also missed.

Yet still City were not greatly threatening and it was not until the second half they tried to inject more pace into their play.

This did open the game up slightly and Atletico almost capitalised with a couple of breaks from deep. Antoine Griezmann wasted one opening with a poor pass and Marcos Llorente chipped tamely at Ederson from another.

Yet it was a move that paid off as City began to threaten more. Gundogan had an effort deflected wide and City’s first serious chance came when De Bruyne forced Jan Oblak to save a low free-kick. Laporte then went close when he headed over from a corner.

City appealed for another penalty for a push by Reinildo on Sterling as he attempted to latch onto a De Bruyne through ball but referee Istvan Kovacs was not interested.

That proved Sterling’s final involvement as Guardiola took him off in the move that changed the game.

His decision paid off as Foden, who came on alongside Jack Grealish and Gabriel Jesus, teed up De Bruyne.

De Bruyne was quick to latch onto the opportunity and drilled a low shot past Oblak.

Foden created another chance for De Bruyne soon after following a tricky run to the byline but this time Atletico had enough players back to block.

Atletico then became the frustrated side and the game became scrappy and niggly before finally ending after several stoppages.

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MANCHESTER CITY MAINTAIN TOP SPOT AFTER WIN OVER BURNLEY

Manchester City made sure they ended the day on top of the Premier League with a comfortable 2-0 win over Burnley.

Responding to Liverpool’s 2-0 lunchtime victory over Watford, first-half goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan restored City’s one-point advantage ahead of a huge week, which includes the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Atletico Madrid and next week’s visit of the Reds.

City had gone 13 points clear after beating Chelsea in January – a figure inflated by the games in hand held by Liverpool – but kicked off at Turf Moor in second place after Jurgen Klopp’s side dispatched Burnley’s relegation rivals for a 10th consecutive league win.

Liverpool would have been hoping for City to feel the pressure, but they needed the fixture list to have thrown up something other than a meeting with Burnley for Pep Guardiola’s men.

The City manager may previously have described trips to Turf Moor as being like going to see the dentist but his players usually emerge with pearly white smiles, and this result means they have now won their last 10 meetings against Sean Dyche’s side by an aggregate score of 34 to one.

The first chance went to Burnley, Josh Brownhill meeting a sweeping cross from Aaron Lennon and heading narrowly wide, but it was pretty much one-way traffic after that as the hosts, having switched to a 4-5-1 formation, failed to pressure the ball.

City led with five minutes gone, with Raheem Sterling cushioning Rodri’s cross-field pass into the path of De Bruyne, who marked his 200th Premier League appearance for the club by rifling beyond Nick Pope for his eighth league goal in the last 13 games.

Rodri had tested Pope with a curling shot and sent a volley wide before City doubled their lead in the 25th minute. Sterling again got the assist, exchanging passes with De Bruyne before cutting the ball back for Gundogan to stroke home.

It was already looking like a question of how many City might fancy as a patched-up Burnley defence – in which Kevin Long made his first appearance of the season in the absence of Ben Mee and Nathan Collins – was pulled this way and that.

Having registered two assists, Sterling had a chance to get on the scoresheet himself before the break when Phil Foden lifted the ball over Burnley’s backpedalling defence, but could not get the right connection.

The pressure continued, with Pope doing more in the first five minutes of the second half than he did in all of England’s 3-0 win over Ivory Coast on Tuesday, first keeping out a front-post flick from Foden, then a more powerful shot from Gundogan, then a curling effort from Kyle Walker.

Sterling was close to a hat-trick of assists with 20 minutes to go as Gabriel Jesus, just on for Foden, stretched to poke his cross over.

Burnley finally registered a shot on target in the 74th minute when they pressed high, winning the ball off Jack Grealish, but substitute Jay Rodriguez’s shot was comfortably held by Ederson.

Bernardo Silva had started a league game on the bench for the first time since August, a run of 28 matches, but replaced De Bruyne late on and almost immediately set up Jesus, who saw his first shot hit the post before bending a follow-up wide.

Burnley’s survival hopes rest not on meetings with City but fixtures like Wednesday’s match against fellow strugglers Everton.

Having raised hopes by taking seven points from a possible nine in the second half of February, the Clarets have lost four in a row since, and have won only two of their last 24 games at home.

Unless they can change that form soon, they will not need to worry about facing City next season.

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GUARDIOLA PLAYS DOWN MANCHESTER CITY’S TREBLE CHANCES

Pep Guardiola wants his side to return injury-free from the international break but played down talk of Manchester City’s chances of winning the treble.

Phil Foden scored a stunning strike as City booked their place in the FA Cup semi-finals with a 4-1 win over Southampton at St Mary’s on Sunday.

Raheem Sterling, Kevin De Bruyne (penalty) and Riyad Mahrez were also on target for the visitors, with Aymeric Laporte’s own goal levelling the scores just before half-time.

Guardiola believes winning the treble would not be an easy feat, and remains focused on the more short-term goals of his side.

“How many times has it happened in this country? Once in this lifetime, once. It’s not easy, I would love to tell you it’s not easy,” the Manchester City manager said.

“It’s better to hopefully pray that the players come back from the national teams fit because it’s tough to fight, fight, fight for many things.

“Now the players have 15 days off and they arrive (back) two days before they have to play Burnley, Atletico Madrid, Liverpool, then Atletico Madrid.

“When you have 10 points clear to the second (placed team in the Premier League) with three games to play and are in the finals of the Champions League and the FA Cup, after (that) we can talk about that (the treble).

“But in the position that we are (in) it’s far, far away (from the treble), the best intention is to be focused on Burnley.”

Guardiola admitted that everyone needs a break, with City not due to play again until April 2 against Burnley after they secured an enticing FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool at Wembley.

“We are there so I think everyone needs a little break, to not see each other for a while would be good, to see new faces for the manager, some players will go on holiday for one week,” Guardiola said.

“And after we come back we know what we have, we have the quarter-finals of the Champions League, we have the Premier League, we have the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

“The nice thing for the team is that fact, the last few weeks of the season and we are fighting for it, we are there for the titles and this is so nice.

“I would have signed (up for that) at the start of the season – to be here in front of you, in the later stages, in this position. We’ll see what happens.”

Ralph Hasenhuttl also is welcoming the international break, as his side head into it on the back of four successive defeats in all competitions.

“The international break always comes at a good time. It is an intense time. It is good to have,” the Southampton manager said.

“(We will) recover. Recharge the batteries. We have nine games to go.

“(We) have work to do to finish as high as possible. We need this break now to get a bit of rest and we come back with full batteries ready to go.”

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SPORTING PLAY BARREN DRAW WITH MANCITY AS CITY SCALE THROUGH TO UCL LAST EIGHT

Manchester City were hardly tested as they formally confirmed their place in the Champions League quarter-finals with a goalless draw against Sporting Lisbon.

After winning the first leg of the last-16 tie 5-0 last month, City barely got out of second gear in Wednesday’s return at the Etihad Stadium.

Gabriel Jesus did have a goal disallowed while Phil Foden and Raheem Sterling also worked visiting goalkeeper Antonio Adan, but Pep Guardiola’s side showed little urgency against a side clearly resigned to elimination.

Such was City’s control that veteran goalkeeper Scott Carson was sent on for the latter stages while youngsters James McAtee and Luke Mbete also appeared in the second half.

Another of City’s promising academy products, defender CJ Egan-Riley was handed a place in the starting line-up, although that was enforced by the absences of Kyle Walker, Joao Cancelo, Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake.

In all, Guardiola made six changes from the team that outplayed Manchester United on Sunday.

Among those to sit out key playmaker was Kevin De Bruyne, who is just one booking away from a ban in the competition.

City strolled through the first period, controlling possession but not putting the Sporting defence under much pressure.

It was 24 minutes before they mustered a shot on target with Foden’s effort from 20 yards testing goalkeeper Adan.

Jesus did feel he should have had a penalty after a challenge by Manuel Ugarte, and he was also given nothing after a tackle by Luis Neto on the edge of the area.

Sterling had City’s best chance of the first half after being played through by Foden but he failed in his attempt to dink over Adan.

City sent on McAtee and the in-form Riyad Mahrez at the interval and the latter created what appeared the breakthrough almost immediately.

Mahrez raced into the area from a long ball and regained possession after being tackled to slip in Jesus on the right.

The Brazilian slotted into the net from a tight angle but the goal was disallowed for offside following a VAR review.

Sporting occasionally got forward but never troubled keeper Ederson. One counter-attack did have City back-pedalling but Matheus Reis blasted well over from the right.

So quiet was Ederson that Guardiola decided to take him off in the 73rd minute, replacing him with Carson. It was only the 36-year-old’s second City outing and his first appearance in the Champions League since his spell at Liverpool in 2005.

Carson was almost immediately into the action, needing to save from Paulinho at point-blank range and taking a blow to the knee in the process.

John Stones went close to grabbing an injury-time winner but headed just over and the game ended without score.

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EVE 0-1 MANCITY: FODEN GOAL TAKES MANCITY SIX POINTS CLEAR AT TOP PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE

Manchester City moved six points clear at the top of the Premier League but only after a hard-fought 1-0 victory over stubborn Everton at Goodison Park.

Frank Lampard’s side defended resolutely for more than 80 minutes but a deflection to a Bernardo Silva cross left Michael Keane flat-footed and Phil Foden pounced on the Everton defender’s lack of control to finish from close range.

Moments later there was controversy when the ball appeared to spin up and hit Rodri on the arm as he went to clear in the box, but after a lengthy VAR check no penalty was given.

City held on to go six points clear of Liverpool, who have a game in hand but are not playing in the league this weekend as they face Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday. Defeat leaves Everton just one point above the relegation zone.

Ukraine internationals Vitaliy Mykolenko and Oleksandr Zinchenko were unused substitutes for Everton and City respectively, with both sets of players showing their solidarity prior to kick-off.

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LATE HEADER FROM HARRY KANE SEALS DRAMATIC WIN FOR TOTTENHAM AT MANCITY

Harry Kane reminded Manchester City just what they missed out on as he scored two goals to earn Tottenham a dramatic 3-2 win at the Etihad Stadium.

The England captain was desperate to join the champions in the summer but City never came up with an offer that even got close to Spurs’ valuation, and how he made them pay as their 15-game unbeaten streak was ended.

After playing his part in Dejan Kulusevski’s opener, he put Spurs back in front following Ilkay Gundogan’s equaliser with a sublime finish before delivering late drama.

Riyad Mahrez’s stoppage-time penalty had looked like stealing City a point but Kane, who also had a goal ruled out by VAR, had other ideas, heading home an even later winner in the fifth minute of time added on.

Kane’s performance could easily tempt City back into the market for him in the summer, but Spurs will be hoping this result can reignite their Champions League hopes.

The result will also have been welcomed at Liverpool as they cut the gap to six points at the top and they have a game in hand as the Premier League title race hots up.

It was a win and performance that was at odds with what has happened at the north London club following three successive defeats.

While Antonio Conte had been fighting fires after appearing to question Spurs’ transfer policy in an Italian TV interview, City boss Pep Guardiola was complimentary about them in the build-up.

It is easy to see why as he has been stung by Spurs enough in recent seasons, as the north London team have had the knack of being able to exploit them with Son Heung-min running in behind.

And they needed just four minutes to execute that plan again as they took the lead.

Kane dropped deep and set Son racing through with a delightful pass and the South Korean unselfishly played in Kulusevski who converted into an empty net.

It was a classic Spurs goal against City, but the home response was typically strong.

Joao Cancelo drifted an effort just wide after cutting inside and then Gundogan rattled the post with an effort from just inside the area.

On an evening when Spurs needed their goalkeeper to be at his very best if they were to stand a chance, Hugo Lloris produced a costly error that allowed City to equalise just after the half-hour.

The Frenchman, who cost Spurs two goals in last week’s 2-0 defeat to Wolves, spilled Raheem Sterling’s cross and Gundogan was on hand to convert into an empty net.

Spurs survived to half-time and were also able to snuff out City after the restart with some strong defending.

They continued to look dangerous on the break and Son tested Ederson from distance after being played in by Kane.

There was nothing Ederson could do about Kane’s brilliant goal that saw Spurs regain their lead just before the hour.

After Ryan Sessegnon picked up a loose ball, he fed Son and the South Korean took his time to pick out his mate Kane, who was arriving late in the box to produce a sublime finish into the top corner.

The 28-year-old was the man of the moment and should have made it 3-1 moments later after being played in again by Son, but Ederson produced a fine save with his feet.

Lloris went some way to redeeming himself soon after with a spectacular save, tipping Gundogan’s goalbound shot around the post.

Kane did have the ball in the net in the 73rd minute with another clinical finish, sparking mad scenes of celebration, but they were ruined by VAR as Kulusevski was offside in the build-up.

City had not really threatened a leveller but were awarded a penalty in the 90th minute when Cristian Romero handled at close range, with referee Anthony Taylor changing his decision after seeing the replay on the pitchside monitor.

But Kane was not done and there was one more twist in stoppage time.

Kulusevski got the ball out on the right, cut inside and delivered a perfect cross for Kane to power a header home.

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FIVE-GOAL MANCITY CRUSH SPORTING LISBON IN UCL LAST 16

Pep Guardiola insisted Manchester City still have room for improvement after Bernardo Silva’s brace inspired a masterful 5-0 rout of Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League last 16 first leg on Tuesday.

Guardiola’s side produced a swaggering display at the Jose Alvalade Stadium to all but secure their quarter-final place before the second leg in Manchester on March 9.

Riyad Mahrez opened the scoring and Silva bagged the second before Phil Foden made it three by the 32nd minute.

With City at their imperious best, Portugal forward Silva struck again on his return to his homeland and Raheem Sterling’s gem rounded off the demolition after the interval.

City are unbeaten in their last 13 games in all competition, a hot streak that now includes 12 wins.

Sterner tests will await City later in the competition but this was a significant statement of intent that will have been heard all around Europe.

Determined to keep his players grounded, Guardiola said: “The difference between the two teams is not 5-0 but we were so clinical. We punished them.

“We had some simple passes that we lost. Against the top sides in Europe we would be punished.

“We have one more game to be in the quarter-finals and this is what you want. The players know me and the way we work that we can do better.

“I’m incredibly happy, please don’t misunderstand me, but we can do better.”

With City nine points clear at the top of the Premier League in their pursuit of a fourth title in five years, there is no questioning Guardiola’s domestic preeminence.

But Champions League success has been harder to come by.

Guardiola insisted this week that critics of his flawed European record over the last decade are “jealous” of his achievements.

Yet the Spaniard hasn’t won the Champions League since 2011 with Barcelona, while City are still waiting to lift the trophy for the first time.

City’s Champions League history is littered with unexpectedly premature exits, but they came painfully close last season, losing 1-0 to Chelsea in the final in Porto.

Back on Portuguese soil to launch a knockout stage campaign they hope will climax with silverware in the final in Saint Peterburg, City’s sublime performance underlined their desire to go one better this time.

Sporting’s fans did their best to make it a hostile evening, loudly jeering Silva, Ruben Dias and Joao Cancelo for their spells with arch rivals Benfica.

But City took just seven minutes to silence the ear-splitting din with a sumptuous move.

Silva found Foden in the Sporting area and his shot was pushed out by Antonio Adan to Kevin De Bruyne, who scooped it back into the six-yard box for Mahrez to slot into the empty net.

Initially disallowed for offside, it took a lengthy VAR check before Mahrez could celebrate his 10th goal in his last 11 Champions League appearance.

City were in the groove and Silva produced a moment of magic in the 17th minute.

When Rodri’s header dropped in the Sporting area, the hosts were too slow to react and Silva pounced with a blistering half-volley that flashed in off the underside of the crossbar.

Guardiola’s team were so slick that even Sporting’s supporters were moved to applaud after the visitors’ third goal.

Mahrez twisted and turned on the right flank before whipping in a low cross that evaded Sporting’s flailing defence, allowing Foden to finish with ease on his 150th City appearance.

City weren’t done yet and the fourth goal arrived in the 44th minute.

Cancelo’s lofted pass picked out Sterling’s run into the Sporting area and his cutback was dispatched by Silva via a deflection.

Silva was denied a hat-trick five minutes into the second half when his header was ruled out for offside.

But Sterling put the seal on City’s masterclass in the 58th minute, taking aim from 20 yards and curling a superb strike into the far corner.