Raheem Sterling hits hat-trick in easy Manchester City win at Norwich | Premier League | The Guardian — theguardian.com

Pep Guardiola may outwardly fear a title fight but that would require Manchester City to make a misstep. They have taken 43 points from the last 45 and, while Norwich revealed hints of fallibility early on, this was as comfortable as most of the victories that came before it.A hat-trick from Raheem Sterling, including a sublime opener and a late penalty rebound, was supplemented by Phil Foden, and City could have scored more. Norwich’s survival bid will neither stand nor fall on nights like this, but Dean Smith may wonder how things would have developed if Grant Hanley’s header had not struck the post with the score goalless.Smith had proclaimed Norwich to be “in the fight” after taking seven points from three games; any positive result here would add potency to the idea and the Canaries could recall that, on City’s most recent visit, in September 2019, they heroically won 3-2. Kenny McLean and Teemu Pukki were the only survivors in Smith’s starting lineup, and as it happened, both players had scored that afternoon.When Pukki warmed Ederson’s palms from an angle in the 10th minute, profiting from an enterprising run by Brandon Williams, it was a reminder Norwich were capable of baring their teeth. They had lived dangerously until then, surviving by a whisker when Bernardo Silva cut inside from the right and snaked a shot against Angus Gunn’s far post.Ilkay Gündogan then headed straight at the goalkeeper from a position that promised better, allowing a comfortable save when Oleksandr Zinchenko found him unmarked.Quickly enough, this became a good game. City dominated, as anyone might expect, Gündogan and Silva flashing across deliveries that narrowly evaded onrushing feet. But they looked vulnerable to Norwich’s forays: neither Zinchenko nor Nathan Aké, both of whom had been recalled to the starting lineup, looked comfortable and they were almost exposed after a spell of sloppiness.A dash by Milot Rashica had been crudely halted by Rúben Dias, who was booked, and prompted a spell of Norwich pressure. When Pierre Lees-Melou retrieved a half-cleared corner and crossed, Grant Hanley planted a firm header down to Ederson’s left. It struck the woodwork and was cleared: City weathered the resulting skirmishes and it felt a key moment in the evening.Relegation battlers do not get many chances like that against City and, inevitably, will give up rather more. Gunn saved from Sterling with a leg but, when Norwich made a conspicuous individual mistake, it was punished.Just after the half-hour, Max Aarons should have intercepted Kyle Walker’s ball across the area but failed to connect. Sterling took possession in the kind of position he relishes, shifting the ball on to his right foot and curling a delicious finish beyond Gunn. It was Sterling’s first goal of the calendar year and hard on Aarons, who had just caused flutters with an enterprising run to the byline.Kenny McLean immediately dragged wide from a promising position but, by half-time, Riyad Mahrez and Gündogan had both come close to effectively making things safe. For Norwich the instructions would have been to stay competitive for as long as possible but, within 80 seconds of the restart, their best-laid plans were shattered.The Fiver: sign up and get our daily football email.That was thanks to the muckiest of goals from Foden, who had initially drawn a save from Gunn after meeting Gündogan’s cutback with an awkward effort off his thigh. He dug the ball back out, at some length, as it squirmed around the six-yard box and scrambled in an effort that deflected off Williams. Although Hanley hacked clear, it had already crossed the line by a foot.The game was virtually over now, as most of those present seemed to acknowledge. When Norwich tried to spring a counter, Ederson found himself sweeping up and fleetingly joining his midfield; the busy Rashica then made him work more conventionally with a firm strike but City were otherwise in total control. Twenty minutes from time they reiterated the point, Sterling converting from a couple of yards after Dias had nodded Foden’s delivery across goal.Guardiola could deploy a few youngsters, including the league debutant Kayky, in the closing minutes. Sterling beat Gunn at the second attempt before the end and, protest though his manager may, it is all looking too easy.

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