FOURSOME BLUES ARE IN BRUTAL MOOD Nothing’s Gund-er stop them
IT’S still early days for Erling Haaland and there will always be a conversation when he doesn’t score.
But in the scorching Manchester heat Pep Guardiola wasn’t sweating.
And why would he when he’s got Kevin De Bruyne?
The Belgian playmaker has given so many masterclasses he’s still Guardiola’s go-to great.
Haaland’s face adorned the matchday programme after his two-goal City debut at West Ham.
But as he made his Etihad bow it was De Bruyne who stole the show – and gave Haaland a glimpse of what it looks like to be king of all you survey.
The big Norwegian only managed eight touches in his 74 minutes on the pitch, although one was an assist for Ilkay Gundogan’s opening goal.
There will be other days, of course, when the goal dam bursts and he scores for fun.
Guardiola said: “The most difficult thing in the world is when you are a striker and defenders defend in areas like Bournemouth. They have three central defenders and two defensive midfielders in the middle – how can you survive like that? It is impossible.
“We will find it, it is a matter of time. The quality of players we have behind him, we will find him, I have no doubt about that.” And De Bruyne?
He did what he always does. All cleverness, simplicity and class making City tick with a goal, an assist and a purring performance.
“When I was in Munich he played in Wolfsburg and I think he was the best player in the Bundesliga, so Kevin was a really good player before our arrival, was good with us and will be after us. He did really well,” said Guardiola.
This was just like another day on the training pitch for City. Being given the runaround is never fun but in the 31 degree heat of a blistering Manchester day this was torture for the Cherrries.
Boss Scott Parker may have looked cool in his shirt, tie and cardigan.
But from the start his players were feeling the furnace-like heat of City’s suffocating power play in a brutal opening half of total domination.
The champions’ standard was so good you’d be mad to bet against them making it five titles in six seasons.
And from David Coote’s first whistle they went for the jugular.
An early goal was inevitable but Bournemouth held out until the 19th minute when Gundogan darted into the box after a one-two with Haaland and slammed home a left-foot drive.
Seconds later, Rodri found Haaland in the box but the Norwegian striker got the ball caught under his feet.
City, though, were moving menacingly through the gears and De Bruyne made it 2-0
on the half hour, poking the ball home after running at Bournemouth’s back-pedalling defenders. Never mind keeping the ball, Parker’s men hardly saw it but that’s no disgrace against this City side. Their fluid movement – allied to technique, tactics and quality few can match – meant more goals were inevitable and Phil Foden notched the third after De Bruyne – who else? – picked out his run. An own goal by Jefferson Lerma ended the rout, and Parker had sympathy for his stars.
He said: “City are a world-class team and we needed to have 11 men with 10 out of 10 performances, ride our luck and take our chances – but we didn’t.
“At 3-0 at half-time you’ve seen teams lose heart and will, and then it becomes tricky. But I was pleased with the way we responded in the second half.”