MANCHESTER, England (AP) - Leroy Sane needed only two minutes to score on his first Premier League start of the season and set Manchester City on its way to a 3-0 win over Fulham on Saturday.
David Silva scored his 50th EPL goal to put City in control at halftime, before Raheem Sterling sealed a comfortable victory after the break.
The victory keeps defending champion City within two points of early leaders Liverpool and Chelsea, which both maintained perfect starts to the season.
Sane, who was voted the Premier League’s best young player by his fellow professionals last season, only amassed 29 minutes of action in City’s first three games of this campaign. He was completely left out of the squad in the final game before the two-week international break.
However, after dismissing suggestions of problems between himself and Sane, City manager Pep Guardiola recalled the Germany winger to the starting lineup and was quickly rewarded.
Fulham became a victim of its attempts to play the ball out from the back as Fernandinho intercepted a poor pass from Jean Michael Seri and raced clear on the left before crossing for Sane to tap home from close range at the Etihad Stadium.
Bernardo Silva set up his namesake for City’s second as his cross deflected into the path of David Silva, who finished with typical coolness to double the lead after 21 minutes.
Raheem Sterling put the match out of Fulham’s reach just two minutes into the second half as Sergio Aguero set him up for the simplest of finishes.
Fulham remains on four points.
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