NO PEP.. NO PURPOSE

Banned boss cuts a tortured figure in the stands as he sees favourites flop at home

PEP GUARDIOLA looked a tortured, helpless soul as he gazed down from his executive box. Banned from the touchline, the Manchester City boss could not possibly have imagined such a disastrous start to their Champions League campaign.

After all, City were the pretournament favourites but appeared a complete shambles without Guardiola to guide them as Lyon tore them apart. They can still do it, of course, but this was far from a message of intent to make the rest of Europe take notice.

It was a listless display, lacking energy and desire. A million miles away from City’s ultimate aim of adding European glory to last season’s Premier League title.

Perhaps it was another indication that they will face a much tougher campaign as they have yet to reach their own remarkable standards while Liverpool and Chelsea have got off to a flyer.

Guardiola, serving a ban for being sent off in the quarterfinal against Liverpool in April, could only watch in despair as his No.2 Mikel Arteta dished out the orders.

The Catalan, looking every inch a Northerner in his flat cap (right), gave his players a rollicking and ordered them in for extra training after they beat Fulham 3-0 on Saturday so you can only imagine what might happen after this.

City certainly did not produce the reaction Guardiola would have been hoping for, as right from the word go there was an unusual clumsiness about their display.

The decision to put Sergio Aguero on the bench was always a gamble and it horribly backfired with only Raheem

Nabil Fekir is mobbed by team-mates after scoring Lyon’s second goal in the first half