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LONDON (Reuters) – Raheem Sterling scored a hat-trick in a convincing start to Manchester City to start his defense of the Premier League title with a 5-0 win at West Ham United in a video assistant referee intervention in more than one incident on Saturday.
Brazilian Gabriel Jesus, favored by coach Pep Guardiola over Sergio Aguero in the attack, opened the scoring in the 25th minute with a brilliant finish from close range after a quick start and low cross from Kyle Walker. According to "Reuters".
England striker Sterling doubled the lead six minutes into the second half after a brilliant midfield pass through Belgian Kevin De Bruyne.
Jesus then became the first player to abolish the video assistant referee in the Premier League.
Jesus thought he scored his second goal of the game to make it 3-0 for City in the 53rd minute after he finished Sterling's cross in the net after a brilliant move, but the assistant referee indicated the England international was offside.
The assistant video referee technique, first applied in the Premier League this season, stepped in again to revisit Sterling's second goal before being awarded a ball into the penalty area and placed over West Ham goalkeeper Okash Fabianski.
In the 84th minute, the technique was used again after City got a penalty for Issa Diop's mistake against Algerian Riad Mehrez in the area.
The goalkeeper saved a penalty from substitute Aguero but the video referee indicated that Declan Rice entered the area during the execution and the referee ordered Mike Dean to repeat the Argentine striker's kick before Sterling completed his personal hat-trick in stoppage time.
Liverpool's 4-1 win over Norwich City in Anfield on Friday, and City's big victory on Tuesday, are a further sign of the possibility of a two-way battle for the title as last season.
It was the eighth successive City win against West Ham in official clashes, with the defending champions scoring 28 goals and conceding just four.
Guardiola looked happy in the second half but criticized his players in the first 45 minutes.
PEP
Since China and the Community Shield @ sterling7 has scored one goal minimum every game.
On the first day he played striker and for me striker will be an incredible position for him. He can play in three positions up front.
#mancity pic.twitter.com/35Mpa4JS2x
– Manchester city (@mancity) August 10, 2019
"We missed our format but this is normal for the first game of the league. We were better in the second half and the players were more calm. After our 3-0 lead, the game was already over," the Spanish coach said.
"But I can't deny my happiness by winning 5-0 away in our first game. We finished last season with 14 consecutive games and we reached 15 in a row without a loss and that's good."
Guardiola added that video technology decisions were a reminder of the need to keep calm in situations that are still unusual.
"You have to keep your mental ability when this technique doesn't stand in your class. You think 3-0 ahead that the game is almost over but the 2-0 result is quite different. You need to keep calm and strong."
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