It was probably fair to say that history was against Watford and so, unsurprisingly, was the present day. In 13 previous matches in all competitions against
Manchester City going back to 2013, they had lost 13, shipping 50 goals and taking some hidings along the way – an 8-0 and a couple of 6-0s, including the one in the 2019 FA Cup final.
This was another pummelling in all but the scoreline, City’s superiority stamped across every facet of the game and, given what had gone before, it felt faintly ridiculous when, after the substitute, Cucho Hernández, had reduced the deficit to 3-1 in the 74th minute, Joshua King blew a glorious chance for 3-2.