Manchester City did precisely what they needed to do: beat Watford and give Liverpool 24 hours to contemplate a four-point deficit before the Merseyside derby.
If the tussle between two supreme sides is the title race’s headline story, this game’s subplot featured a first Premier League hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus – he added a fourth – who may depart in the close season. The 25-year-old has a year remaining on his contract and is a candidate to leave, especially as – in contrast to this demolition job – he has never been a prolific marksman for City.
