Premier League 2019/20, Manchester City 8-0 Watford: 5 Talking Points 

#3 A good display but now Mahrez, it's time to remain in the team

Mahrez celebrates his strike with teammates during a memorable home victory

You could probably excuse the collective surprise as Raheem Sterling was left an unused substitute on this occasion, rather than getting his name on the scoresheet with a handful of goals and assists.

If there was ever a game that Sterling would have relished featuring in, it would have been this one as he boasts an impressive record against The Hornets with eight goals and two assists in seven games. But then again, we're in late September and rotation is an important policy Pep wants to utilise. So it made sense to start Riyad Mahrez, who has fluttered and frustrated since a £60m move from Leicester last summer.

If ever there was a time for the Algerian captain to step up to the fore, it is now. With Leroy Sane (ACL) sidelined until early 2020 and Sterling resting on the bench here, he needs to get more involved and have a long-lasting impact on his manager, providing more of a selection dilemma than in previous instances.

His opening weekend performance against West Ham typified that, creating three assists - though he has frustrated with opportunities in the team since then. He scored one and created another in midweek away against Shakthar Donetsk in the Champions League matchday one, which is likely to have played into the Spaniard's thinking behind this decision.

It's all well and good flourishing against weak opposition, but it's another thing to replicate it on a weekly basis.

Consistency has always been a question of the 28-year-old since winning PFA's Player of the Year in 2016/17 and in truth, his playstyle doesn't exactly help matters either when he's off-the-ball. However, it's high time he steps up and makes himself more valued.