Manchester City 5-1 Watford: Cityzens Player Ratings as Gabriel Jesus sparkles | Premier League 2021-22

Manchester City beat Watford 5-1 at the Etihad Stadium to open up a provisional four-point gap at the top of the table.

Gabriel Jesus opened the scoring for the hosts as he poked one in following a pin-point pass from Oleksandr Zinchenko. The Brazilian doubled his side's advantage as he headed in a brilliant cross from Kevin de Bruyne past Ben Foster.

The visitors pulled one back in the 28th minute of the game through Hassane Kamara who drilled one past Ederson to light a ray of hope for Watford.

Manchester City regained their two-goal advantage through Rodri, who scored a thundering goal from outside the box to make it three for the Cityzens.

Jesus continued his onslaught following the restart. He won a penalty for his side, which he scored to complete his hat-trick. Minutes later, Jesus scored once again following some neat work by De Bruyne in the box to set him up.

On that note, here's a look at Manchester City's player ratings for the game.

Ederson - 6/10

Ederson did not have much to do as most of the game unfolded on the opposite end of the pitch. However, he could have done better for Kamara's goal as he could not stoop down low in time to keep the shot out.

Joao Cancelo - 6/10

Joao Cancelo endured an awkward game. The Manchester City defender looked shaky on occasions. He could have done better for the only goal his side conceded as he was easily beaten down the flank. He looked much more comfortable in the second half.

Ruben Dias - 7/10

Ruben Dias started his first game post his recovery. The Portuguese defender had a solid game at the back as he neutralized everything that came down his way.

He led the back-line by example. Dias completed the most number of passes (105), won five duels, made two recoveries, won one tackle and made one interception throughout the game.

Aymeric Laporte - 6.5/10

Partnered perfectly with Dias at the back. Did not have much to do as Watford barely managed to test Manchester City's back-line. Laporte was subbed off in the 74th minute of the game in favor of Nathan Ake.

Oleksandr Zinchenko - 8/10

A much better performance by Oleksandr Zinchenko in comparison to his recent outings. The Ukrainian was astute offensively as well as defensively. He provided a brilliant pass-in for Gabriel Jesus' opening goal of the game.

Fernandinho - 7.5/10

Fernandinho provided a calming presence in the center as he made the most out of a rare start that was handed to him. The Brazilian won six duels, made six recoveries, won one tackle, made two clearances, created one chance, and made two interceptions throughout the game.

Rodri - 8/10

Rodri scored a screamer for Manchester City's third goal of the game. After receiving the ball from Jesus, the Spaniard smacked one in from far out to give Ben Foster no chance. He slotted in perfectly in a double pivot role alongside Fernandinho.

Gabriel Jesus - 10/10

Gabriel Jesus scored four goals against Watford. He even registered an assist. The Brazilian was a menace every time he touched the ball. Jesus smacked multiple records with his stellar performance. He was involved in all five goals Manchester City scored.

Jesus became the first Brazilian to score at least four goals in a Premier League match. He also became the first player to score four goals in a single Premier League game since Son Heung-min against Southampton in September 2020.

He won five duels, made seven recoveries, created three chances, made two interceptions, completed one dribble and made one clearance throughout the game. An all-round performance by the Brazilian.

Kevin de Bruyne - 8.5/10

Kevin de Bruyne was mightily influential against Watford. The Belgian, on his return from injury, set up two goals for Jesus.

He also won three duels, made five recoveries, won one tackle, made three clearances, and created four chances throughout his stay on the pitch. De Bruyne orchestrated the tempo of the game as he trumped the midfield battle.

Jack Grealish - 6/10

Jack Grealish was not involved much in the attacking play, but worked hard off the ball and showed some real zeal to win the ball back on numerous occasions.

Raheem Sterling - 6.5/10

Raheem Sterling had a decent game. The Englishman was great in the buildup and held the ball quite well throughout the game. He could have done much better in the finishing department as he wasted a clear chance in the 36th minute of the game.

Ratings of Manchester City substitutes

Ilkay Gundogan - 7/10

Ilkay Gundogan came on for De Bruyne in the 57th minute of the game. The German international came close to scoring a goal but Ben Foster made a great save to deny the 31-year-old. Gundogan created three chances for his side in the limited amount of time he had.

Nathan Ake - 6/10

Nathan Ake came on for Laporte in the 74th minute of the game. Didn't have much to do as Manchester City were already cruising by then.

Riyad Mahrez - 6/10

Riyad Mahrez barely left a mark on the game as it was all done and dusted by the time he entered.