Stoke City 1 (Krkic (49' p)
Manchester City 4 (Aguero (27' pen, 36'), Nolito (86', 90'+5)
Man of the Match: Aguero (Manchester City)
It may prove the soundtrack to their season. For minute after minute, the Manchester City fans chorused their manager’s surname, customising the Dave Clark Five’s 1964 hit Glad All Over to serenade Pep Guardiola.
They had much to celebrate. A 4-1 win at Stoke, where they produced arguably their worst performance last season, extended their 100 per cent start to the season. “A great performance,” Guardiola said. It had his fingerprints all over it.
His substitutions were excellent and influential. One replacement, Kelechi Iheanacho, helped another, Nolito, score twice. Each goal was testament to the slick, quick passing football Guardiola is trying to implement. Defenders were dragged out of position. City showed speed of foot and of thought. They have begun at pace, scoring nine goals in their last two games.
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“I am surprised at the level they play in Bucharest and here,” Guardiola said. “We saw an amazing team spirit and these players show me how intelligent they are. But we have to improve many things.”
If there were imperfections in their passing, the moment when Willy Caballero threatened to concede at set-pieces and Stoke threatened an equaliser, the scoreline was emphatic. Clinical finishers can have that effect. In Sergio Aguero, Guardiola has a man averaging two goals a game this season. He delivered a first-half double.
Aguero’s excellence was a constant even in the difficult days at the end of Manuel Pellegrini’s reign. He has played 20 Premier League games in 2016 and scored as many goals. Three games in Guardiola’s reign have produced a windfall of six, even though he spurned two penalties in Bucharest on Tuesday.
He retained the responsibility for spot kicks and showed more accuracy by sending Shay Given the wrong way after Ryan Shawcross, who resorts to the illegal all too often, tugged Nicolas Otamendi. His second goal was a better illustration of the attributes that enable him to be so prolific. Aguero was one of the smaller men in the penalty area when Kevin de Bruyne delivered a free kick. He eluded his would-be marker, Glenn Whelan, and guided a header beyond Given.
These are bounteous times for the Argentine. Guardiola made Lionel Messi, Thomas Muller and Robert Lewandowski more prolific than they had ever been before. Aguero, whose most productive campaign yielded 32 goals, could follow suit especially as he now has a four-man supply line with Guardiola plumping for a quartet of attacking midfielders in each game.
“We create a lot of almost chances,” the manager said, lamenting how a failure to find the final ball at times cost City still more shooting opportunities.
They have had plenty from 12 yards. Guardiola’s games have featured a host of penalties — five so far — with four awarded to them. Stoke were aggrieved they were not granted one when Aleksandar Kolarov bundled into Joe Allen. Mike Dean, a strict enforcer of new directives about grappling in the box did rule in their favour when Raheem Sterling tried to block off Shawcross.
Bojan, who spent three seasons in Guardiola’s Barcelona team, scored against a former mentor. “This time last year, the penalty would not have been awarded,” Stoke manager Mark Hughes said.
Regulations have been changed. City are being transformed. They are more adventurous, being epitomised by John Stones as he embarks on solo runs from the heart of the defence.
“We will keep trying to create the game with the build-up,” Guardiola said. The sight of a footballing defender will be as regular as the sounds from the stands.
As for the song? “Hopefully next time I can understand what they sing,” said Guardiola, who was nonetheless grateful. He will soon learn the words.
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