SEVEN HEAVEN FOR PEP & KEV

Guardiola warns City’s rivals De Bruyne is all set to give them hell

RATTLING seven past an overwhelmed Rotherham three days after resurrecting their title challenge against Liverpool represents a decent start to Manchester City’s year.

Yet in a week overflowing with positives at the Etihad, it was the return of a fully-fit Kevin De Bruyne which brought the biggest smile to manager Pep Guardiola’s face.

Goals from Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden, Gabriel Jesus, Riyad Mahrez, Nicolas Otamendi and Leroy Sane, with an own goal from Semi Ajayi thrown in, completed a rout.

Crucially though, when De Bruyne was replaced after 66 minutes, Guardiola will have breathed a sigh of relief as the Belgian trotted to the sidelines without so much as a hair out of place.

Guardiola said: “We spoke with Kevin yesterday about playing 65 or 70 minutes at full intensity.

“But he played an incredible game, created a lot of chances and he just has the vision to see what other people cannot see.

“Last season he played an incredible number of minutes and this season it is just 400 minutes when everyone else has played 2,000.

“I said many times how important Kevin is for us. We try to be a team and, of course, we have done incredible in terms of results but for the second leg of the Premier League, he is going to be fresh in the mind and the legs.

“And that will give us extra, the creativity in the final third, in the fight.”

Rotherham were on the back foot from the start and the floodgates held just 12 minutes, Sterling exchanging a one-two with De Bruyne and burying a powerful shot inside Marek Rodak’s far post.

The Millers stood firm until the approach of half-time when two quick goals from Foden – his first at the Etihad – and Ajayi turning in Kyle Walker’s cross, saw City go in three up.

They returned after the break to turn the screw with another four goals.

This was Guardiola’s biggest win in his time at the club and City’s biggest victory here since thrashing Sheffield Wednesday 7-0 under Manuel Pellegrini in the League Cup in November 2014.

Asked for his thoughts on the match, Rotherham manager Paul Warne blew out his cheeks and said: “I was pleased the final whistle went!

“Nothing really prepares you for how quickly City play the game. Their slowest player is quicker than my quickest player.

“I asked Pep before the game to be gentle but I think the respect he showed us with the team he put out said a lot.”