‘Everyone has the quality to score’ – Mahrez on Manchester City’s hammering of Newcastle United

Riyad Mahrez has proclaimed that every Manchester City player has to quality to score after they ran out 5-0 winners over Newcastle United at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday evening.

The Citizens headed into the tie on the back of a disappointing 1-0 loss at Southampton having previously seen off newly-crowned league champions Liverpool 4-0.

The rout started in the 10th minute with Gabriel Jesus followed by Mahrez who was assisted by Kevin De Bruyne, the Belgian providing his 18th assist of the season which is the most of any player in Premier League history and also equalling the same tally he set in 2016-17.

Newcastle’s Federico Fernandez put the ball into his own net to make it 3-0 in the 58th minute before Silva netted his brace seven minutes later and Raheem Sterling sealed the deal in the injury time.

Mahrez’s goal was his 10th in the Premier League this season, making him the fifth City player to score double-digit league goals after Sergio Aguero (16), Sterling (13), De Bruyne and Jesus (both 11).

It is also the first time since Everton in 1984-85 that five players in the same team have scored at least 10 goals in a season.

“That's our team – [we know] that everyone can score - everyone has the quality to score,” Mahrez said on the club website.

“For me, I want to try to help the team and score the most goals that I can.

“It’s not easy but we made it easy by scoring early in the game. And after we had more control and could try to score more goals.

“I think we played good [at Southampton but] we missed a lot of chances, today we scored - that's the difference.

“We need to keep it up and to keep working and helping the team to improve so we arrive in the best form in the important games for us.”

Mahrez now has 12 goals and 15 assists in 44 competitive matches this season.

City meanwhile have all but guaranteed second place on the log, with nine points separating them and third-placed Chelsea with four games left to play.

Pep Guardiola’s men have Brighton and Hove Albion, Bournemouth, Watford and Norwich City in their remaining league fixtures. In between is an FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal at Wembley on July 18.