By Daily Sports on July 12, 2020
Raheem Sterling scored his third hat-trick of the season as Manchester City swept Brighton aside to ensure they will finish in second place in the Premier League.
City had lost their three previous away league games, including a defeat at Southampton last Sunday, but they never looked like suffering another slip-up on their return to the south coast.
Sterling, who now has 27 goals in all competitions for City this season, inflicted most of the damage on a Brighton side who never managed to make the game a contest.
The England forward put Pep Guardiola’s side ahead with a superb low finish from outside the area, collecting a Gabriel Jesus flick and cutting in from the left before firing into the opposite corner of the net.
More chances followed for City, and Jesus had a shot deflected against the bar before he got on the end of Rodri’s knockdown from a corner to make it 2-0.
The punishment did not end there for the Seagulls, as City continued to pour forward with Kevin de Bruyne pulling the strings, although a 19th league assist of the season eluded him
The Belgian fired a free-kick against the post after half-time and it was his driving forward run that led to Riyad Mahrez crossing for Sterling to head home City's third goal at the far post.
Moments later it was 4-0, when Mat Ryan spilled Bernardo Silva's shot and the Portuguese followed up to tap home.
Sterling, whose previous hat-tricks came against West Ham and Italian side Atalanta, had the final word in bizarre fashion when he chased a pass into the area and saw the ball bounce off the back of his head and cross the line as he was challenged by Ryan.
Brighton were completely outclassed and did not manage a single shot on target. (BBC)
•PHOTO: Raheem Sterling
Source Daily Sports
Posted July 12, 2020
You may also like...
Osimhen deletes Napoli-related posts from his Instagram page...
Benin Warriors, Chinice Sports Investment reach agreement on...
Song comes out of coma
Sports Minister Mourns Rangers FC Duo
Chelsea Want £6m-Plus For Omeruo as Celta Vigo...
Atletico held again as Valladolid miss penalty

Madugu eyes WAFCON title defence
Mexico beat Ecuador 2-0, break 40-year World Cup knockout jinx
England battle DR Congo as USA target historic World Cup win
Portable, Charles Okocha set for rematch July 31
Morocco set new African World Cup records
Fortune FA wins seventh JOF U-13 Cup
Okoronkwo makes injury return ahead WAFCON
Amusan downplays season pressure after Paris win
Morocco World Cup win sparks celebration, arrests in Netherlands
JOF Nigeria's Grassroots Vision Delivers Another Football Success Story As Fortune FA Claim U-13 Crown
Belgium thrash New Zealand 5-1, through to World Cup last 32
World Cup: Cape Verde to face Argentina in knockouts after Saudi draw
Rangers International going, going . . . (63,932 views)
Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (55,266 views)
Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (53,180 views)
Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (52,786 views)
Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (52,669 views)
Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (52,541 views)
Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (52,430 views)
NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (51,953 views)
Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (51,162 views)
Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (49,632 views)
Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (48,109 views)
John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (47,503 views)