Pep back on top as Special K provides the gloss

IF THE prize will ultimately go to those prepared to be bold, then Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City will replace Chelsea as champions of England.

No team in the Premier League, not even free-scoring Manchester United, seek the initiative and demand the ball as they do.

And it will seemingly take more than the erratic driving of an Amsterdam cabbie to thwart their plans. No Sergio Aguero, no problem.

Guardiola still set out to take on the reigning champions in their backyard, outpass and outplay them, and go home with the spoils.

Fortune does not always favour such boldness, though. And for much of this game it seemed the wiliness of Antonio Conte would smother the idealism of Guardiola.

No matter that he was at home — once he had unluckily lost his only trusted centre-forward, Alvaro Morata, to a first-half injury, Conte was prepared to sit this one out with no recognised striker on the pitch.

Only when City did take the lead was Michy Batshuayi introduced, although he was ready to come on just before the goal went in.

With his midfield three and with Anders Christensen a natural-born leader at the back, Chelsea were happy to harry City on the counter.

Here, though, pragmatism was undone. City were not at their glittering best but they toiled and stuck to the plan. They aspired to creativity and perfection.

And, eventually, the unerringly influential Kevin de Bruyne struck a wonderful and deserved winner against his former team.

They might have won by a bigger margin, when Gabriel Jesus almost decapitated Antonio Rudiger with a fierce shot which the Chelsea defender headed off the line.

No matter — the result rather than the scoreline was what mattered and sent out a decisive message at the conclusion of the first quarter of the season. On the touchline, there was almost as much energy expended as on the pitch: Guardiola thumped his thigh and screwed up his anguished face every time sacred possession was lost; Conte bawled at his coaching staff as they vicariously bore the brunt of Chelsea’s own laxity in possession.

Indeed, no team quite grasped the game in that opening half. Once or twice, Raheem Sterling was only a centimetre away from playing in Jesus; Nicolas Otamendi headed a chance wide from a corner; David Silva almost surprised Thibaut Courtois with a snatched shot.

Early on, Jesus had almost caught Courtois out, chasing down a backpass and seeing the deflected kick from the keeper loop over the bar.

But there was none of the slickness City exhibit against lesser sides, hence Guardiola’s deep frustration.

By contrast, Chelsea were content to sit back and wait their chance. When they did counter they did so delightfully, with Morata playing on the very edge of the defensive line, and Eden Hazard poised impishly, just a yard or so behind him.

Their threat always lingered — at least it did until the 34th minute when Morata withdrew with what looked like a sore hamstring. He had been their principal outlet.

He had destroyed John Stones on 28 minutes, turning him one way, then the other, though the City defender did well to recover and Kyle Walker blocked the shot.

Minutes earlier, Cesar Azpilicueta went close, his shot seen late by Ederson, who dived to tip it wide.

Yet Guardiola is nothing if not faithful and his creed states that possession will ultimately endure. And, on this occasion, it worked after 67 minutes.

Playing from the back, City found de Bruyne. Head up, the Belgian advanced, exchanged quick passes with Jesus before striking a delightful, powerful, curling shot beyond fellow countryman Courtois and into the far corner of the net.

The trajectory of his run allowed him to continue into the arms of the celebrating City fans. It was well deserved.