Raheem Sterling scored a hat-trick for Manchester City who thrashed Isaac Success Watford 6-0 in the final of the English FA Cup on Saturday reports Completesports.com.
It was the first time a player bagged a hat-trick in an English FA Cup final since 1953 Watford missing out on Europa League spot.
Gabriel Jesus and David Silva were also on target as Manchester City clinched an unprecedented domestic treble in England the Premier League, EFL Cup and FA Cup – in a single season.
Isaac Success came on for Roberto Pereyra in the 66th minute of the defeat
The six-goal margin of victory equals the FA Cup final record set by Bury in 1903, rounding off what has been an incredible season for Pep Guardiola’s treble winners.
City made a tentative start to the match and were grateful to keeper Ederson for keeping the match level with 11 minutes on the clock.
Watford hit their opponents on the counter and Gerard Deulofeu was played in down the left by Abdoulaye Doucoure, before shifting it into the middle for Pereyra.
The Argentina international’s first touch set him nicely, but Ederson closed down the angle and made the save with his leg.
Then, after having a penalty appeal turned down when Doucoure’s shot hit the arm of Vincent Kompany, Watford found themselves a goal down as Sterling cushioned the ball into Silva’s path and the Spaniard tucked his shot away from Heurelho Gomes.
That goal ended a run 27 games and 2066 minutes since Silva last found the net, and it transformed City as they looked a lot more like their usual selves from that point on.
Following a spell of pressure, Bernardo Silva lifted the ball over Watford’s defence, Jesus flicked it goalwards and Sterling helped it over the line from the crossbar to become the first player to both score and assist a goal in an FA Cup final since Alexis Sanchez for Arsenal against Aston Villa in 2015.
It could have been 3-0 before the interval as Riyad Mahrez, lively in his hour on the field, had a powerful shot saved by Gomes at the Brazilian’s near post.
Watford took a lot more risks in the second period, sensing a first cup triumph slipping away from them, but they struggled to create any opportunities to rival the one Pereyra squandered early on.
Deulofeu scuffed wide when getting the wrong side of Kompany, and with that miss the Hornets’ cup hopes ended as De Bruyne killed things off.
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