Sane and Mahrez punish watford

Leroy Sane and Riyad Mahrez goals give leaders win,Leaders Manchester City survived a late scare to see off Watford 2-1 at Vicarage Road on Tuesday night.
City were camped in Watford's half for most of the first half and took the lead on 40 minutes as Leroy Sane chested home Riyad Mahrez's dangerous cross.
Provider Mahrez then turned scorer in the second half, slotting past Foster with a controlled finish from Gabriel Jesus' cut-back (51), before Abdoulaye Doucoure made for a nervy ending with a messy late goal (85).

But City held on, and the result means they remain unbeaten this season and five points above Liverpool, who play at Burnley on Wednesday night. Watford are down to 11th.Predictably, City dominated the ball from the off, and were nearly ahead on 11 minutes as Roberto Pereyra's sloppy square pass allowed Sane through on goal, only for Ben Foster to race out and save superbly.

Foster came to Watford's rescue again as he closed down the gap on Mahrez six yards out after the Algerian was played through beautifully by Fernandinho, and Watford had a chance of their own at the other end as Troy Deeney was denied at point-blank range by Ederson's foot.

But City went ahead with five minutes of the half remaining as Mahrez, whose cross should have been turned home by David Silva 30 seconds previous, delivered a beauty for Sane to improvise and chest past the onrushing Foster from six yards.

City took just six minutes of the second half to get the two-goal cushion, as Sane and David Silva combined with Jesus on the left, before the Brazilian's cut-back into the box was tucked home 10 yards out by Mahrez, his sixth goal against Watford and fourth at Vicarage Road.

Mahrez's shot from just inside the box then hit Christian Kabasele's arm, but went unnoticed by referee Paul Tierney, while Jesus, in the side due to Sergio Aguero's absence, finished poorly inside the box from Mahrez's superb through ball.

Man-of-the-match Mahrez was denied by Foster's fine one-handed save late on, but a rare Watford attack then resulted in a goal as Doucoure bundled over the line after seeing his first effort blocked by Kyle Walker.

The 63th-minute introduction of Gerard Deulofeu had burst Watford into life, and they nearly grabbed a shock leveller as Deeney's header from a corner fell into the grateful arms of Ederson.