Man City will get better: Guardiola
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says his side will get even better as they deservedly beat Arsenal 2-0 on the opening day of the English Premier League season.
The Gunners were playing their first competitive game without Arsene Wenger in charge since 1996 but were well beaten by the defending champions.
Raheem Sterling put City ahead in the 14th minute when he got the ball on the corner of the box, cut beyond two players and rifled home from 20 yards.
Riyad Mahrez went close to scoring on his league debut for City when his free-kick was saved by Petr Cech, who denied Aymeric Laporte from the follow-up.
It was always going to be a tough first game for Unai Emery at Arsenal and they had few clear-cut chances - with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and substitute Alexandre Lacazette shooting wide from outside the box.
City were brilliant in parts - and controlled in others - and killed off the game when Benjamin Mendy, who assisted both goals, pulled the ball back for Bernardo Silva to blast in a second.
“We have a lot of players with a lack of condition but we are more than two seasons together and know what to do,” Guardiola said.
“We made a good performance in general and day by day we will get better and better.
“I am privileged to be manager of Manchester City. They have given me a fantastic squad. I cannot complain for one minute.”
LIVERPOOL START WITH A BANG
Jurgen Klopp described Liverpool’s emphatic 4-0 victory over West Ham as “better than I could have expected” before warning his team face an “unbelievably hard” season. Mohamed Salah’s early goal set Liverpool on their way to their biggest opening home league win since 1932. The Egyptian tapped in a 19th-minute opener from Andy Robertson’s cross on his return to action for the Reds at Anfield. “West Ham will play, for sure, a good season but they are not the Uniteds, the Citys,” Klopp said.
“We know that and we have to be ready week in, week out for all the challenges.”
It took the visitors almost half an hour to fashion a chance of note as they struggled to stem. the Liverpool attacking tide.
New Reds goalkeeper Alisson, signed for £66.8m from Roma in the summer, comfortably saved a Fabian Balbuena header, one of only two efforts on target for the Hammers.
RESULTS
Manchester United 2-1 Leicester City, Newcastle 1-2 Tottenham, Bournemouth 2-0 Cardiff, Fulham 0-2 Crystal Palace, Huddersfield 0-3 Chelsea, Watford 2-0 Brighton, Wolves 2-2 Everton. Liverpool 4-0 West Ham, Arsenal 0-2 Manchester City, Burnley 0-0 Southampton.