Aguero may miss derby showdown after ‘elbow’
STRIKER COULD MISS DERBY CLASH AFTER APPEARING TO SWING ELBOW AT DEFENDER
SERGIO Aguero is facing a ban ahead of next month’s derby against United after appearing to swing an elbow at West Ham defender Winston Reid.
The Argentine could be banned for three games for violent conduct if the FA choose to review the incident in City’s 3-1 win.
Referee Andre Marriner failed to act - but Aguero could still face retrospective punishment.
It means Pep Guardiola could be without his star striker for his first encounter against Jose Mourinho as City manager.
But the Catalan - who insisted he didn’t see the incident - was relaxed about the prospect of Aguero being ruled out.
“Hopefully nothing happens,” he said. “If it happens, we accept and adapt. If we lose him, we lose him. We are going to play with 11.”
Guardiola and Mourinho go into the 172nd derby on September 10 with 100 percent records in their new jobs.
Guardiola watched his side make it five wins out of five in all competitions thanks to two goals from Raheem Sterling and another from Fernandinho.
“Our first goal was to get through to the Champions League group stage,” he said. “Of course we can improve - there is still room for improvement.
“But we have been playing well and, hopefully, we can continue doing that.”
THE differences were there for all to see, in the first half at least.
In the space of a few weeks, Pep Guardiola has turned City from staid to stunning, from cramped to creative, even if there are still rough edges to knock off.
And while it is still early days, and the tempo and fluency levels dropped considerably in the second half, this City team is already proving a breath of fresh air to a Premier League that was in danger of stultifying.
Two seasons ago we had Chelsea winning the title with football that was solid and robotic, only occasionally bursting free of its mechanical shackles.
Last season, for all the goodwill they garnered, and the fairytale nature of their triumph, Leicester’s football was throwback English fayre garnished by Riyad Mahrez’s quality.
And this year, rivals United and Chelsea have responded with teams that are functional and effective, but hardly make your heart soar. Then there is Guardiola’s City. We were warned that Pep would tear up the English football textbook, that he would revolutionise our game. And while he has a long way to go before he does that, the kind of football they played in the opening 45 minutes to establish a two-goal lead is already starting to convince. Last season the Hammers took more points off top ten teams than anyone else in the Premier League – including a smash-and-grab win at City. This year they hardly got a look-in for 45 minutes, as City hounded them mercilessly when not in possession, and destroyed them at will when they had the ball. The opening goal was delightful, and it was orchestrated by David Silva, back to his brilliant best. He showed the balance, strength and touch that often deserted him last season, when he was beset by injuries and stale form, before sliding a pass inside the full-back for Nolito. He provided the accuracy from wide positions that the Blues also lacked at times last season, giving Raheem Sterling a simple finish.
Guardiola’s attention to detail stretches as far as set-pieces as well, and when Kevin de Bruyne whipped in a free-kick, Fernandinho thundered in late to power his header home and make it 2-0.
Of course, it couldn’t remain at that extreme level, and the Hammers reminded everyone of last season when Michail Antonio rose to head home at the far post and guarantee a nervous last half-hour before Sterling sealed it.
We were warned that Pep would tear up the English football textbook Stuart Brennan