RAVENOUS CITY RULE
Pep’s machine crushes Cherries
If there is one thing as certain as the crawling queues of traffic towards Bournemouth’s beaches on a sunny bank holiday weekend, it is the relentless drive of Manchester City. If there is another it is the endless stream of goals from Sergio Aguero, who was twice on target here.
Pep Guardiola looked on approvingly in his summer casuals as his City team returned to winning ways after a draw against tottenham, which passes for a blip when you operate at this level of excellence, and maintained their pursuit of early pacesetters Liverpool.
there is very little wrong with his supreme machine as they attack the challenge of following their domestic treble by attempting to clinch a hat-trick of Premier League titles.
the questions are always about
hunger when a team dominates in this fashion. Do they have the desire to go once again? Are they replete with success? On this evidence, they want more. One of Guardiola’s obvious qualities as a leader is to inspire his teams to win time after time.
here, they showed great appetite and energy against a team who were physically imposing and dangerous on the break. there were times when Bournemouth bristled with intensity and threatened to inflict damage but City did not flinch. they showed they were prepared for a fight and stirred the home crowd with one or two challenges of their own.
eddie howe thought Kyle Walker was fortunate to stay on for two late tackles on Nathan Ake within the opening few minutes. Walker was shown a yellow card for the second but not the first.
ederson incensed the locals when he escaped with a booking, having charged out and chopped down Callum Wilson on the wing.
Aguero struck after 15 minutes and brought some order to a chaotic opening phase. A cross from the left and a mishit shot landed at his feet and he did not hesitate. A touch and a low strike and Aaron ramsdale was picking the ball out of his net.
Bournemouth were rocked and they suffered another blow when Charlie Daniels was injured. It looked serious from the moment he fell, clutching his right knee having twisted the joint when he crossed under no challenge.
howe, who later confirmed the injury was ‘potentially serious’, was forced to shift ryan fraser to wing-back. On came harry Wilson, who would make a telling contribution, but not before City doubled their lead.
David Silva turned on the ball in midfield and threaded a pass into the feet of raheem Sterling, who gathered it as he sprinted forward and poked it past ramsdale.
But Bournemouth hit back when Wilson, on loan from Liverpool, struck on the stroke of half-time with a fabulous curling free-kick.
After the interval, City seized possession and tightened their grip. Kevin De Bruyne slammed a good chance narrowly wide and there was a VAr investigation as David Silva claimed he had been tripped by Jefferson Lerma. there was certainly contact. Lerma, making a clumsy tackle from behind, trod on Silva’s boot and over he went.
But, as City fans jeered the introduction of the video referee, it was decided the contact was not worthy of a reversal of referee Andre Marriner’s initial decision — that there had been no foul.
the champions soon extended their lead when Aguero grabbed his fourth of the season. David Silva dribbled into the area and when the ball was won by a combination of Ake and Chris Mepham, it spilled into the path of Aguero, who thumped in his second.