THIS CITY MACHINE SHOWS NO SIGNS OF STOPPING
Plucky Swansea swatted aside as Aguero and Sterling help perfect Pep make it a record 10 wins from 10
A PERFECT 10 for Pep Guardiola and an excellent 11 for Sergio Aguero. Together they really are adding up to a half-decent team.
The question now is who can stop this wrecking machine, which so far this season has destroyed all in its path at home and in Europe.
To Swansea’s immense credit and a significant level of surprise, they gave it a good go here. But just like the first nine opponents that found themselves bludgeoned out of Manchester City’s way, they were eventually also pushed aside with rude force.
With it, Guardiola has 10 wins from 10 games in all competitions and has also equalled a little piece of history in matching Carlo Ancelotti as the first manager to win his first six Premier League matches. Even against the elevated standards of a manager who has won so much in his life, that is a brilliant start.
With Celtic, Tottenham, Everton and Barcelona as their next four fixtures — only Everton of which will be faced at home — some serious effort will need to go into preserving that flawless run.
Guardiola recognised as much. ‘I’m so happy for that important victory because now we have a game in the Champions League and then we go to one of the best teams of the last two years, Tottenham at White Hart Lane and we’re going to see how our level is there,’ he said.
For now, the signs are good, particularly when Aguero is in the sort of mood he is currently in. He put City ahead after nine minutes here with a brilliant goal and the Argentine restored their advantage from the penalty spot after a fine equaliser from Fernando Llorente.
Those two goals take Aguero to 11 in six games in all competitions, which is simply incredible.
Then there is Raheem Sterling, the butt of so many jokes in the past year and even more here where he was frequently called a ‘waste of money’ by the crowd.
The problem for Swansea — and others — is that he is increasingly looking like having the last laugh. He scored City’s third of this match and with it offered a broad hint that his confidence is coming back.
Truly there is a lot for Guardiola to be excited about, particularly when it is considered that this was one of City’s less impressive performances. In truth, Swansea were their match for 65 minutes, which is relevant in its own right as Francesco Guidolin is a manager in desperate need of positive performances.
The Swansea board are considering their options, which includes hiring Ryan Giggs — and that is the legacy of such poor performances in the early part of this season.
But from nowhere they frequently looked impressive here, especially in their application and effort which, shamefully, has been lacking in other matches.
In this one, they pressed, hassled and stood toe-to-toe for much of the match. Even the curious decision to field Kyle Naughton, a right-back, on the left, seemed to work.
But they found themselves behind after nine minutes and there was not much they could do about it either. Quality can do that.
Bacary Sagna had fed Aguero with a low cross from the right but the striker was still 14 yards from goal with Mike van der Hoorn and Jordi Amat at touching distance. With one excellent touch, however, both defenders were gone and Aguero had a clean shot at the target. His effort went through the legs of goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski and City were doing what City do.
That, typically, has been the cue for a blitz. Not this time.
Swansea kept pushing, kept hassling, kept forcing mistakes. In one instance, Naughton had a shot saved by Claudio Bravo, in another Gylfi Sigurdsson had one blocked. A side with distinctly questionable temperament this season finally showed some backbone. The leveller, after 13 minutes, was excellent, Llorente capitalising on Sagna’s slip and launching a strike into the top corner.
But after 65 minutes Van der Hoorn tussled with Kevin De Bruyne, who was heading across goal and in that battle the Dutchman raised an arm and caught the City player in the face.
Referee Neil Swarbrick ruled it was a penalty and Guidolin, who is normally so placid, approached something of a rage.
Aguero chipped his penalty down the middle and past Fabianski and Guardiola even left his seat to celebrate.
A counter-attack then set Sterling free and he rounded Naughton and beat Fabianski for his fourth goal of an already impressive season.
Despite defeat, however, Swansea boss Guidolin finally had something to cling to.
‘The performance was perfect in my opinion,’ he said. ‘We were the same level of Manchester City who are the best team in the Premier League. Life continues and tomorrow is another day. I am optimistic and confident for the future.’
City, meanwhile, top of the table by four points, have far more reason to feel the same way.