CITY FLYING HIGH
De Bruyne sparkles for Pep’s pace-setters
WE HAVE been here before. Manchester City won the first five games under Manuel Pellegrini last season. Late summer sunshine and early-season optimism suit this club.
But this feels different and not just because this was the eighth successive victory under Pep Guardiola and a record-breaking start for City. There is an authority and structure to this team which have been lacking in the past.
And though some sumptuous football was played under Pellegrini and Roberto Mancini, there is a growing sense that this team could produce something truly sublime this season if they continue to evolve into the side Guardiola wants them to be. ‘Barcelona lite’ was the derogatory description once aimed at Arsenal; City look more like the real thing.
Against Bournemouth, they were utterly dominant and the fact they were the same last weekend against Manchester United, for a half at least, suggests something more substantial is afoot. And, don’t forget, all this was without David Silva and Sergio Aguero.
They weren’t missed simply because Kevin De Bruyne is the outstanding player of the moment. He was ably assisted by Raheem Sterling, who was also excellent, Kelechi Iheanacho and Ilkay Gundogan, making his Premier League debut.
But it was the Belgian who bestrode this match, dictating when and where the ball should be played. When he was substituted on 76 minutes, the match long since won, the Etihad rose as one.
Guardiola said afterwards that, of all the players he has coached, only Lionel Messi stands above him, which isn’t a bad place to be. But of course it was principally the team that Guardiola came to praise.
‘Numbers are numbers and one record will be beaten by another,’ he said. ‘I have to say I am so happy. But I know that in the future I am going to lose games. Now we have won a lot of games — well, these five games in the Premier League — and the people say nice words.
‘But I see what happens when the trainers don’t win, they are being so criticised. In our world, with social media, it’s better to stay back and don’t read too much and don’t listen too much. I know we are going to lose games — and it’s important when that happens to stay stable.’
Should City players be tempted to get above themselves, they will be put right by their coach. ‘That is not going to happen because I am here,’ said Guardiola. ‘And don’t say it is so easy. I am hearing for a long time the Premier League is the toughest league so I’m not going to accept that now it is so easy. Behind that there is a lot of work. And we are only in September. So we’ve played nothing yet.’
Bournemouth, with Jack Wilshere in midfield, were simply no match for City or De Bruyne. It was an unhappy first start for Wilshere. After some initial energetic forays, he gave the ball away and then, in his efforts to retrieve it, conceded the free-kick which led to the opening goal. Thereafter, he chased the ball fruitlessly until substituted on 68 minutes with the score at 4-0.
‘It was difficult for Jack,’ admitted Eddie Howe. ‘We want to see him in their half, in the final third and we didn’t get there enough so we didn’t see the best of his qualities today.’
The moment Bournemouth gave the ball away from the opening kickoff and De Bruyne powered through to force a save from Artur Boruc, it felt ominous for the visitors.
They could have done without conceding the first goal quite so simply from a free-kick on 15 minutes. The defensive wall lined up well enough, jumped in the air and De Bruyne drove the ball along the ground, under the wall and into the net.
Two minutes later Nolito should have made it two, Boruc saving well, and the keeper was on hand again on 23 minutes with a vital second touch to push the ball away from Nolito. Sterling opened up Bournemouth here, and it was a miserable afternoon for left back Charlie Daniels.
City’s second followed directly from one of Bournemouth’s rare forays upfield, showing that it can be impossible to face a Guardiola team: sit back and they pass round you, go forward and they simply plough through the space you leave. De Bruyne, Nolito and Iheanacho combined to move the ball 100 yards in a couple of seconds and released Sterling, who fed Iheanacho, who obliged from three yards out.
The second half was only three minutes old when De Bruyne fed Iheanacho, who rolled the ball in front of Sterling and his shot, though soft, trickled over the line.
Wilshere gave away the free-kick which led to the fourth, De Bruyne picking the ball up, exchanging passes with Clichy and producing the most exquisite ball through the Bournemouth defence to allow Gundogan to score.
Callum Wilson hit the bar in a fruitless Bournemouth attack and then Nolito got himself sent off with a head butt on Adam Smith. It was rash, because being suspended from this team could be fatal. It may be a while before he gets back in the team.