MANCHESTER: David Silva scored one goal and made two more as Manchester City put on a passing masterclass to overwhelm Newcastle United with a 5-0 Premier League victory last night.
Having announced that he will leave the club at the end of this season after a 10-year spell, the 34-year-old Spanish playmaker showcased all of his considerable skills as City demolished a rudderless Newcastle.
The victory moved second-placed City up to 69 points with four games of the league season remaining while Newcastle are 13th on 43.
Gabriel Jesus put the home side ahead in the 10th minute, stabbing home Silva’s clever pass, and Riyad Mahrez made it 2-0 in the 21st minute when Kevin De Bruyne pulled the ball back for him to sweep home from the penalty spot.
Things went from bad to worse for Newcastle in the second half when Matt Ritchie’s last-ditch attempt to dispossess Jesus hit fellow defender Federico Fernandez and flew into the goal to put City 3-0 up.
Silva got himself on the scoresheet in the second half, stroking home a beautiful free kick from the edge of the box in the 66th minute, and he would have had a second if not for a brilliant reflex save by Newcastle keeper Martin Dubravka.
Guardiola handed a Premier League debut to 18-year-old midfielder Tommy Doyle. Though the City players gave the teenager plenty of chances to make an impact, it was Silva that set up substitute Raheem Sterling for a simple goal in stoppage time to make it 5-0.
Later in the night, Mohamed Salah scored twice as champions Liverpool moved on to 92 points with a 3-1 win at Brighton and Hove Albion.
Juergen Klopp’s side were 2-0 up within eight minutes after Brighton paid heavily for sloppy work in their attempt to play the ball out from the back.
Liverpool need nine points from their remaining four games to secure the highest points total in a Premier League season, with the current record set by City, who amassed 100 points in 2018.
Meanwhile, John Egan’s stoppage-time header earned Sheffield United a dramatic 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Bramall Lane.
A second home win since the return of the Premier League moved Sheffield United up to seventh in the standings, above Arsenal, and within a point of Wolves in sixth.
West Ham United’s hopes of climbing clear of the relegation zone suffered a blow as a Jay Rodriguez header gave Burnley a 1-0 win at the London Stadium.