CITY LOOK GOOD AS NU

Pep's men show no ill effects from firecracker Sunday

- DAVID ANDERSON

AFTER the high drama of Sunday, this was the routine win Manchester City wanted.

The champions are counting the cost of Sunday's firecracker clash with Arsenal and Pep Guardiola confirmed before kick-off that key midfielder Rodri will be out for a lengthy period with a knee injury.

City needed a straightforward match, especially with this tie starting just 49 hours after John Stones's 98th-minute equaliser against Gunners, and they got it.

They rejected the invitation to play 24 hours later, at Vicarage Road, and their gamble paid off as Guardiola's much-changed side were simply too strong.

Watford did pull a goal back four minutes from time through Tom Ince to make the tie briefly competitive, but it was not enough to alter the outcome.