Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola singled out Phil Foden for special praise after the England midfielder helped his side secure a 3-1 Premier League win over Wolves on Monday night.
City's delayed start to the campaign - due to their involvement in last season's Champions League - had allowed Liverpool to build a six-point lead over them before they had even kicked a ball.
Guardiola's side could not afford to slip up at Molineux if they wanted to keep pace with the champions and they raced into a two-goal lead before half-time thanks to Kevin De Bruyne's penalty and Foden's cool finish.
City's swaggering first half gave way to an anxious spell as Wolves dominated after the interval and they had to cling on after Raul Jimenez got one back before Gabriel Jesus sealed the points in stoppage time.
Foden's goal was a welcome morale boost in his first match since the midfielder was sent home in disgrace, along with Manchester United's Mason Greenwood, after the pair broke coronavirus protocols.
"For the goal and in the second half Foden played incredibly well, he helped us keep the ball," Guardiola said.
While City equalled Aston Villa's record of winning 10 consecutive opening fixtures to a top-flight season, there is little doubt Liverpool remain the Premier League's preeminent force for now.
But Guardiola was delighted to open with a victory given the shorter than usual pre-season.
"We could not run much because we are tired in our legs but in general we did a good game," he said.
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Wolves v Man City player ratings
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WOLVES PLAYER RATINGS: Rui Patricio. 6 - Powerless to prevent Kevin de Bruyne from rocketing a penalty into the bottom corner and had no chance against City’s second either. AFP -
Willy Boly. 5 - Struggled to deal with the sharp movement of Raheem Sterling and was often chasing shadows against the fluid visiting frontline. Getty Images -
Conor Coady. 6 - Guilty of some sloppy moments in possession, and found himself bogged down in a physical battle with Gabriel Jesus. AFP -
Romain Saiss. 5 - Got sucked into a rather naïve challenge on Kevin de Bruyne to give the visitors an early penalty, and the Moroccan never really recovered. Getty Images -
Adama Traore. 5 - Completely starved of service thanks to City tactics that sniffed out any signs of a Wolves counter-attack. Getty Images -
Ruben Neves. 6 - Should have done much better when he scuffed a shot from the edge of the box despite having a clear sight of goal and plenty of time. AP -
Joao Moutinho. 5 - His lack of pace was cruelly exposed by De Bruyne as the Belgian glided past the midfielder with ease to create a string of chances for the visitors. Getty Images -
Marcal. N/A - Forced off with an injury after just seven minutes. AP -
Daniel Podence. 7 - By far Wolves’ most dangerous player, and showed great feet to nutmeg de Bruyne and provide Jimenez with a pinpoint cross for the forward to head home. PA -
Raul Jimenez. 6 - Didn’t have much in the way of genuine goalscoring opportunities but took his 78th minute header brilliantly as he hauled his side back into the game for a tense finish. EPA -
Pedro Neto. 5 - A largely anonymous display in which the 20-year-old never looked like seriously troubling the City defence. Getty Images -
SUBS: Ruben Vinagre (Marcal, 8’). 6 – Penned back as Kyle Walker stamped his authority on the right flank, and with the Wolves midfield malfunctioning, the left wing-back was unable to stretch the game. REUTERS -
Leander Dendoncker (Joao Moutinho, 78’). N/A – Came on to shore up the home midfield, but his side were chasing the game long before his arrival. Getty Images -
Fabio Silva (Pedro Neto, 78’). N/A – Unable to get a sight of goal in the final 12 minutes. EPA -
MANCHESTER CITY RATINGS: Ederson. 6 - A virtual bystander in what was a quiet night for the City stopper but had no chance against Jimenez’s firm header. AFP -
Kyle Walker. 7 - Had real presence out on the right-hand side as he looked to provide a wide outlet and stretch the home backline. Reuters -
John Stones. 6 - Brought the ball out of defence well in the first half but got caught out by two balls over the top that should have been finished off by Daniel Podence. EPA -
Nathan Ake. 7 – A decent debut as he dealt well with Wolves’ physical approach and the Dutchman looks a smart addition to the City backline. Getty Images -
Benjamin Mendy. 6 - Never in any real danger against the ever so dangerous Adama Traore, but he did pick up a first-half booking for holding back the Wolves winger. AP -
Fernandinho. 7 - An easy night in the office for the Brazilian, who helped to effectively stall the Wolves midfield engine. Reuters -
Rodri. 7 - Kept City firmly in control of a congested midfield and wasn’t far away from a rare goal when he fired a volley just wide of the angle between post and bar. EPA -
Phil Foden. 7 - Picked up dangerous pockets of space between the lines and looked a threat even before he dispatched Sterling’s lay off to put City two ahead. AP -
Kevin de Bruyne. 8 - Got the vital touch to a loose ball to draw a foul for his side’s penalty, before dusting himself down to slot home in emphatic fashion. He then played a part in his side’s second with a slide-rule pass for Sterling. AFP -
Raheem Sterling. 7 - Looked sharp on his first league outing of the season, and opened his assist account with a tidy pass for Foden to finish for 2-0. EPA -
Gabriel Jesus. 7 - Had a tough physical battle against the three-man Wolves defence but plugged away and deserved his late goal. Reuters -
SUBS: Ferran Torres (Raheem Sterling, 81’) – A quiet Premier League introduction for the Spaniard. Reuters
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"The period that we are in, the situation that we had this last two weeks, I expected some moments where we suffer but in general we controlled it well.
"It was a good performance. We know how difficult it is in this stadium.
"Sometimes we need more time to get to our best condition but it was a good start to come here and win."
It feels like a crucial season for City and Guardiola as they look to regain the title they won in 2018 and 2019.
Guardiola says he needs to "deserve" an extension to his City contract rather than just be handed one as he enters the final year of his current deal.
After finishing 18 points behind Liverpool and suffering a shock Champions League quarter-final defeat against Lyon, City need to push the champions harder this term and the early signs were encouraging.
