England Premier League: Big 6 update

Huddersfield 1-2 Manchester City: City ride tsunami past Terriers

On Sunday, Manchester City enjoyed their 11th successive away win - a new record! City have 25 games unbeaten (all comps); 18 wins in a row (all comps), and the best ever start by a Premier League team.

Huddersfield goal: Nicolas Otamendi 45 +0:45 o.g.
Man City goals: Sergio Aguero 47 Pen Raheem Sterling 84

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola was delighted after his side’s recovery from being a goal down to win at Huddersfield on Sunday. Guardiola hailed Manchester City’s 2-1 defeat of Huddersfield Town as one of City’s more satisfying results this campaign after watching his men come back from going a goal behind against a side who had beaten Manchester United at home. Raheem Sterling’s late winner means City have become the first team in 25 years of the Premier League to earn 37 points from their opening 13 games. The victory leaves Guardiola’s team 8 points clear at the top of the EPL table, with a considerably superior goal difference. “We spoke about needing this kind of situation to happen,” said Guardiola. “We have to be in trouble because when you are 1-0 down you have to know how to live with that situation. To win the Premier League, you have to live through these kind of games. It’s a big positive because we showed a lot of focus. That is why I am so happy. It was a real Premier League game – we played against a tough team and winter has come, but we did it and now we can continue.”

Huddersfield took the lead through Nicolás Otamendi’s own-goal. City’s equalized with a penalty from Sergio “Kun” Agüero early in the second period. A lucky ricochet off Sterling’s knee in the 84th minute gave City the win. Sterling has now scored 12 times this season, the best figures of his career with six months of the campaign still to go. “It definitely gives me more satisfaction,” Guardiola said. “We need to win games in that way. It is so important that you have to suffer and still be able to win the game. We made an outstanding performance in that sense.” Guardiola praised the contribution of England international Sterling. “He is young and he can still improve, but now he is a winning player, he is winning games. Before, he made good actions but now he wins games. We are in November and already he has made a record for himself. I am impressed, but still he is 22 years old. He can still improve. He can learn and we will be there to help him.”

Rajiv van La Parra, the Huddersfield winger, was sent off after the final whistle for pushing Leroy Sané in the face but their manager, David Wagner, said he agreed with the penalty decision and would watch the video of the red-card incident. “I saw everything I wanted to see from my team, apart from the loss,” he said. Raheem Sterling struck 6 minutes from time to help City overcome a first-half deficit to defeat Huddersfield. Pep Guardiola says he took as much pleasure from Manchester City's battling 2-1 victory over Huddersfield Town as he did from their big victories this season after City fell behind for the third time this season when Nicolas Otamendi deflected in a header just at half-time. But they were level two minutes after the restart due to Sergio Aguero's penalty. Raheem Sterling gave City the win in the 84th minute to keep City's eight-point lead at the top of the table. Guardiola was asked if he enjoyed the win as much as the 6-0 victory over Watford. "Definitely, definitely, more than winning 4-0, the same words I said in locker room after the game,” said Pep. "We need to win in these kind of games in that way. That, maybe that will convince more, that we are able to do that wherever. In the high level of sport, when you are one week rest, you have to prepare in the good moments, okay you can score goals. But normally that can happen a lot of times. I cannot remember one team - United with Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsenal with Arsene Wenger - win all the leagues, all the time, four or five. You have to suffer, you have to live that, in the last period last month, we did not feel that, and that is why it's so important. To live that situation and be able to win the game. Because, again, we make an outstanding performance in all senses."

Sterling's winner was lucky with the ball rebounding off his knee. It took his goal tally to 12 over all competitions for the season -- his best ever goal tally -- and meant he has won City seven points in the Champions League and Premier League with goals in the last 10 minutes of matches. "He is young, can still can improve, he made a big gap, he is winning games, now he's a winning player," Guardiola added. "Before he make good actions but now he is able to make winning games. We are in November, he has already broken his record, so that is top. But not just in terms of goals, and how he is now strong, keeping the ball, before he would lose a lot of balls, now he is keeping the situation much much better, one against one, provoke fouls. I am impressed but still he's 22, still he can a lot of things improve. If he wants to learn, we will be there to help him."

Sterling was brought down by Christopher Schindler for the penalty and German Huddersfield boss David Wagner had no complaints about the decision. "I think the players have done everything to get a draw, they were solid and focused," said Wagner. "Unfortunately we were not able to get over the line. Manchester City is a top team. "We have played 13 games in the Premier League and have proved we are competitive. I take a lot of positives, it is unfortunate about the result."

Vincent Kompany talked about the match
“Today was what epitomises the Premier league. it’s a bit colder, it’s a bit harder to move the ball, and they defended well. They were strong in front and they had a gameplan. Today I feel the team deserved the win because we kept at it. You don’t ever go into the game thinking it’s not a big three points, but this one’s even bigger because we were 1-0 down and we ran out of options at some points. We were creating chances and then when they went 1-0 up it became a different game.”

Raheem Sterling talked about scoring his penalty
“We came in at half-time really disappointed. For myself and everyone in the dressing-room, we thought we could get something out of the game and that’s exactly what we’ve done,” said Sterling. “I thought I was clear through on goal and felt the tug, and it was a clear penalty. I thought the one just before that was even more clear of a foul.”

Squads
Huddersfield: Lossl, Smith, Jorgensen, Schindler, Malone, Hogg, Williams, Ince, Mooy, van La Parra, Depoitre. Subs: Kachunga, Cranie, Lowe, Quaner, Mounie, Green, Hadergjonaj.

Manchester City: Ederson, Walker, Otamendi, Kompany, Delph, De Bruyne, Fernandinho, Silva, Sterling, Aguero, Sane. Subs: Bravo, Danilo, Gundogan, Mangala, Bernardo Silva, Gabriel Jesus, Alexander Zinchenko.
Referee: Craig Pawson.

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