Sterling helps himself as Man City retain vice-like control

A hat-trick for Raheem Sterling and a predictably emphatic win for the champions. You can set your watch by them.

Beating Norwich isn’t the definitive proof of anything for anyone, but this was yet another Manchester City clinic. It feels like they’ve played this exact match a dozen times already this season.

They are, and you may want to sit down before taking in the sheer heat of this take, quite clearly the best team in the country and will win the league.

But the difference between them and everyone else is just the sheer holding-at-arm’s-length control they are able to take in games.

They’ve taken the lead in 20 Premier League games this season, which is pretty good but it doesn’t make them stand out from their rivals. Liverpool have also led 20 games, Chelsea 19 and even Manchester United – who are just awful – 17.

The difference is what happens next. City have won all 20 of those games. Liverpool have won 15 and drawn five, which is perfectly decent in all contexts except in comparison to these silly City side. Chelsea have drawn five and lost one of their 19, and United have drawn five and lost one, dropping another two points on the day City strolled to another three.

Norwich even played quite well before losing 4-0 in entirely predictable fashion and frankly blameless fashion. The Canaries are feeling as good about themselves as at any time this season having taken seven points from their last three games, and started the game in lively fashion. They had a couple of half-chances and snapped into tackles and counter-attacked with purpose and pace on the few occasions City allowed such frivolity.

But slowly, surely, the champions tightened their grip. From the moment Sterling curled home the first of his three