FEELING HOT HOT HOT
RATINGS
mirror.co.uk/sport/football
CABALLERO
Once a Wembley shootout hero for City, less joy this time AZPILICUETA
Had his work cut out to suppress Silva and Sane’s runs
LUIZ
Given full guided tour of Wembley in his first start for six months RUDIGER
Isolated by Foden’s intelligent run when City broke deadlock ALONSO
Less comfortable in flat back four than as a foraging wing-back JORGINHO
Not obvious, on this evidence, why £57m Italian jilted City BARKLEY
Pale imitation of playmaker who was top of bill at Everton FABREGAS
Probably fared better as a BBC pundit at the World Cup HUDSON-ODOI Terrified Walker with bags of promise and bundles of star quality PEDRO
Not enough shots, not enough crosses, not enough end product MORATA Aguero 13, 58 SEASON three of ‘Guardiola in the Premier League’ promises to be the best yet.
The same, sensational serial thrillers with even more Pep and – in £60million Riyad Mahrez and the outstanding youngster Phil Foden – more freshness and fearsome strength in depth.
Amazon Prime may be preparing to give us a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the procession Manchester City turned the title race into last season.
But, judging by the hunger and desire oozing from the champions to brush Chelsea aside here, Guardiola and his men are in the mood to set the bar even higher over the next 10 months. Matchwinner Sergio Aguero provided the razor-sharp finishes as he took his goal tally for the club to 201, but City grabbed Chelsea by the throat at the outset.
They shook the life out of the Londoners with their relentless high press and their superior distribution. By the end it should have been four or five.
Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling, Ederson and David Silva are all yet to return in time for this weekend’s big kick-off.
Yet if City’s priority this time around is going to be the Champions League anyway, Guardiola will sleep soundly knowing that this second string will make more than a few teams look silly this season. Alvaro Morata’s 17th-minute shot – high, wide and harmless – was Chelsea’s first touch in the City box and their first effort of the game.
Then 26 minutes to cause any threat at all to the recently-crowned kings of England. Welcome to the Premier League, Maurizio Sarri.
Aguero, remember, is no longer even Guardiola’s first choice up front. The future is Gabriel Jesus, nine years his junior at 21 and sat on the bench with the ink barely dry on his new, five-year deal.
When Guardiola sent him on in place of Mahrez with 23 minutes left you almost felt sorry for Chelsea.
Aguero had opened the scoring after just 12 minutes.