Manchester City thrash Watford as fans slaughter Walter Mazzarri in final game as manager

Watford 0 Manchester City 5: Sergio Aguero scored twice as Gabriel Jesus continued his fine form

Gabriel Jesus showed he and Sergio Aguero could play together (Getty)

Even before kick-off, this never felt like a match in which Manchester City were going to slip up. And once it started, Watford were never going to avoid humiliation.

Pep Guardiola's men had third place in the Premier League wrapped up well before half-time against a Watford team without half-a-dozen central defenders through injury or suspension, whose manager had already been sacked. The Hornets did not exactly stand aside and wave City through into the Champions League, but neither were they capable of offering much resistance. It was their sixth successive defeat, their worst losing streak for 44 years, and left them only one place above the bottom three in the final table.

Guardiola's men will not have many easier afternoons, but this romp and a total of 15 goals in their past four games will only serve to underline how far they have underachieved in finishing 15 points behind champions Chelsea.

The City skipper opened the scoring at Vicarage Road (Getty)

And it was certainly not the farewell to Vicarage Road that Watford head coach Walter Mazzarri would have chosen after the announcement of his dismissal last week, when he became the eighth man in charge of team affairs to leave since the Pozzo family took over in June 2012.

Mazzarri has often cited injuries as the reason for his team's indifferent performances and the situation was so bad here that he was forced to select two goalkeepers among the substitutes. But there was no excuse for continuing his perverse insistence on beginning with club captain and leader Troy Deeney on the bench. That left his team short of heart and spirit and it showed.

Jose Holebas had to chest an effort from Leroy Sane off the line after only 50 seconds and City were ahead in the fifth minute. Kevin De Bruyne sent over a corner from the right and Vincent Kompany, utterly and completely unmarked, headed home.

Watford were willing to have a go, and M'Baye Niang shot powerfully but wide after a strong run. But City looked as if they would cut through the home side's scratch rearguard every time they went forward, especially down the right where Watford left back Brandon Mason, 19, endured a torrid first Premier League start.

Aguero doubled City's advantage (Getty)

City should have been two up after 15 minutes when David Silva sent Gabriel Jesus clear. As Gomes advanced, Jesus rolled the ball across the penalty area for Aguero only for emergency centre back Valon Behrami to charge across and block his shot towards the empty net. Three minutes later the same pair combined again down the same side, this time goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes getting his legs in the way of Aguero's close-range effort.

A second for City was inevitable and Aguero scored it after 22 minutes, taking De Bruyne's pass through the Watford back four and beating Gomes with a low shot into the far corner.

The biggest Watford cheer came when Deeney went for a jog on the touchline. City's fans, in contrast, were cheering most of the time and their team went 3-0 ahead in the 37th minute when Sane took Silva's pass, cruised past Daryl Janmaat and squared for Aguero to tap in.

Four minutes before the interval it was stand-in right back Fernandinho's turn to find the net after Watford made a hash of a clearance, and did no better when attempting to foul in order to recover the situation. Referee Jon Moss played the advantage as the City man went through, held off Mason and buried his shot past Gomes.

Aguero inflicted more misery on Watford (Getty)

Watford were jeered off at the interval and some of their supporters headed for the exits. They nearly missed a goal as Stefano Okaka battered his way past Fernandinho and shot hard for the top far corner only for Willy Caballero to bring off a fine diving save.

Mazzarri was still passionate enough to attract a touchline lecture from referee Jon Moss, and it might have improved his temper when Aguero missed a sitter that would have given him his hat-trick. But a fifth City goal arrived as Sane beat Tom Cleverley to Aguero's cross from the right and lifted the ball over Gomes and in.

Watford (4-2-3-1): Gomes; Janmaat (Eleftheriou 39), Behrami, Holebas, Mason; Cleverley, Doucoure; Amrabat (Deeney 58), Capoue, Niang (Pereira 75); Okaka.

Substitutes not used: Pantilimon, Gilmartin, Zuniga, Watson.

Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Caballero; Fernandinho, Kompany, Otamendi, Clichy; De Bruyne, Toure (Sagna 63); Jesus, Silva, Sane (Navas 62); Aguero (Iheanacho 71).

Substitutes not used: Gunn, Sterling, Kolarov, Stones.

Referee: Jonathan Moss

Attendance: 20,829