THE VERDICT: CITY 2 CHELSEA 0
SO you think Pep Guardiola has made just one addition to the team that was just too hot for anyone else in the Premier League last season? Look again. Riyad Mahrez – a club record £60m signing from Leicester – may be the only major recruit this summer, but 90 minutes at Wembley was enough to suggest City are ready to go again and could be better than ever.
Pep Guardiola has been frustrated by his failure to secure a long-term successor to Fernandinho in midfield – and the sight of Jorginho in Chelsea, rather than City, blue is sure to have sparked thoughts of what might have been for the Catalan. But if anyone was left secondguessing their actions yesterday, it will have been the Italian.
He saw first hand the job his new club – and any other in the top flight – have on their hands to wrestle the title away from the Etihad.
This was a team without Kevin de Bruyne, David Silva, Raheem Sterling, Vincent Kompany, Ederson and more.
Yet a 2-0 scoreline could have been so much worse for Chelsea.
It was a reminder of the strength in depth at Guardiola’s disposal.
At left-back there is a £50m World Cup winner, who barely kicked a ball for the club last season. It’s a cliche – but Benjamin Mendy is like a new signing.
He was the left-back Guardiola believed would take English football by storm 12 months ago. Now fully recovered from knee ligament damage, let’s see if the manager is right.
There was certainly little to suggest otherwise at Wembley – Mendy’s powerful runs pinning Chelsea back and creating space for Bernardo to exploit.
The Portuguese playmaker was the pick of a City team that oozed with attacking intent – piercing Chelsea’s defence with his darting runs and incisive passing.
He took time to find his feet in his first year in England – and was very much the supporting act to De Bruyne and Silva. On this evidence, that could change. But he will face competition from Phil Foden, the teenager who could force his way into the England side.
While Foden was guilty of giving the ball away too cheaply early on, his bravery to keep taking on opponents is what Guardiola demands of his players.
By the time he was substituted in the second half, he received a standing ovation. Foden was outstanding and it was his jinking run that led to City’s opener after 13 minutes.
Carrying the ball to the edge of the box, he squared to Sergio Aguero, whose dragback outfoxed Antonio Rudiger, Aguero (13, 58), None 53% 47% 18 4 5 4 None None Jonathan Moss 72,724 leaving him space to drive a low shot past Willy Caballero.
The same combination saw Aguero put clean through on the former City goalkeeper inside five minutes of the restart. He looked certain to score - only to fire into the side netting.
The Argentine made no mistake the next time he was presented with an opening in the 57th minute.
A move, which started with John Stones winning the ball at the back, ended with Aguero slotting home after good work from Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo in between.
It was pure City. Pure Guardiola. Pure football.
City’s rivals have been warned.