Magnificent Aguero can play better, insists Pep

SWANSEA 1 Llorente (13) MAN CITY 3 Aguero (9, 65 pen), Sterling (77)

PEP GUARDIOLA last night labelled Sergio Aguero as ‘magnificent’ — and then told him how much he needs to improve.

The Argentine scored twice in the win at Swansea, taking his tally to an astonishing 11 goals in six games in all competitions this season.

With it, Manchester City sit top of the Premier League, but Guardiola insisted Aguero needs to get better.

He said: ‘Congratulations to him for his first goal and the penalty for his second. He’s scored a lot of goals in the games, so I am happy for him. But he knows that I want more. He can play better.

‘He can make other things that is going to help us. I will try to help him to develop his abilities.

‘I want him to be involved in our game, in our process, and keep the ball and help us. Of course in the box I cannot help him — he’s going to help us a lot in the box. He’s magnificent.

‘The first goal, the first control, how quick he made the first steps, and after his finish — excellent. But I want to help him to be a better player.’

Man City’s win means they have won their first 10 games of his reign, including their first six league games, which levels a record set by Carlo Ancelotti.

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, with Celtic being their next port of call this week.

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, the Welsh side were also pushed aside with rude force eventually.

With it, Guardiola has 10 wins from 10 games in all competition. 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, some serious effort will need to go into preserving that flawless run.

Guardiola recognised as much in saying: ‘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.’

For now, the signs are good, particularly when Aguero is in the sort of mood he is currently in. He put Man City ahead after nine minutes here with a brilliant goal and the Argentine restored their advantage from the penalty spot after Fernando Llorente equalised.

Then there’s 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.

He scored the league leaders’ third and with it offered a 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 Man City’s less impressive performances. 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.

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 both defenders were gone and Aguero had a clean sheet on the target. His shot went through Lukasz Fabianski’s legs and the visitors were ahead.

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 defender raised an arm and caught the Belgian in the face. Neil Swarbrick ruled it was a penalty and Guidolin, 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 of an impressive season. Guardiola clapped; Guidolin finally had something to cling to.

‘The performance was perfect in my opinion,’ he said. ‘We were the same level of Man 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.’

Man City have far more reason to feel the same way.