Sterling is for real: Winners and losers from Arsenal 0-2 Man City

In a superbly confident showing, Manchester City beat Arsenal 0-2.

This represented a genuinely impressive start to City’s title defence as, bar a 10 minute spell in the second half, the Sky Blues were well on top and thoroughly dominant. Who were the winners and losers?

Winner: Raheem Sterling

Anybody who was hoping for Raheem Sterling to be a one-season wonder in terms of his end product (for whatever reason) is probably going to be in for a tremendous letdown. Whatever afflicts him in front of goal in an England shirt does not apply when he plays in a City kit. Sterling was sensational against Arsenal, running with amazing purpose from start to finish.

City’s no. 7 did everything asked from him; from both holding his position wide to stretch Arsenal’s defence and then combining with his team-mates well (his pass to release Benjamin Mendy for City’s second was perfectly weighted) but then also pushing forward and narrow with the ball at his feet to create danger, bamboozling Arsenal defenders with his quickfire inventive genius.

Sterling’s goal, a rocket shot from outside the box, after leaving a couple of Arsenal defenders for dead, was incredible. It was also his 50th Premier League goal, making him the 11th youngest player to reach such a milestone. Expect more greatness from Raheem Sterling.

Loser: Petr Cech

Can someone put Petr Cech out to pasture already? Cech has been a phenomenal servant to the Premier League and ranks as one of its greatest ever stoppers, but he looks thoroughly shot even with the no. 1 shirt on his back. Cech’s efforts at playing with the ball at his feet were shaky, so much so that he almost passed the ball into his own net.

Cech made one great double-save to stop Riyad Mahrez and Aymeric Laporte but besides that he was shockingly poor; his inability to react to Sterling’s shot was a testament to how far he’s fallen: 10 years ago he saves that with ease. Bernd Leno spent the game sat on the bench, and one feels Unai Emery may just be protecting his new goalkeeper from these brutal first two fixtures (City and Chelsea) before bringing him in, because if Cech is better than Leno then Leno must be horrendous. Because damn.

Winner: Bernardo Silva

Hey remember how Manchester City were really dependent on 32 year-old David Silva last season, and how they really struggled when he didn’t play? Well, now they’ve got Bernardo Silva fully up to speed and it’s a case of one Silva out, one Silva in, and City’s midfield will continue to purr as smoothly as a kitten.

Bernardo was brilliant against Chelsea and shone at the Emirates too. He passed with perception, moved with purpose and kept City well on top. And when moved further forward into the front three, he killed the game off with a stunning finish that can, apologies for the hyperbole, only be described as as Messi-esque.

Winner: Aymeric Laporte

Barcelona and Manchester City had their eyes on Laporte for years, but Athletic kept bumping his price up to levels no one paid for centre-backs. But the second Liverpool spent £75m on Virgil Van Dijk, City swooped in for Laporte, paying the £60m release clause and securing the magnificent centre-back.

Laporte was an irregular starter last season, but already this season has shown against Chelsea and Arsenal why he is arguably the club’s best defender. Against Arsenal he played with immense stature, reading the game superbly and snuffing out problems early. He coped athletically against the fantastically fast Aubameyang, which was supposed to be his weakness mind you, and his passing? Goodness, his passing! Laporte was playing scything diagonals with pinpoint accuracy, keeping City’s attack infused with momentum.

Loser: Granit Xhaka

New number, same old nonsense from Granit Xhaka. The Swiss international is a sublime passer of the ball and can hit a mean effort from distance, but he’s not much in the way of a defensive presence. His ability to defend space is limited and his covering ability mostly consists of cynical hacks and fouls.

The major issue is that Xhaka simply can’t play his natural game when pressed by an opponent, and lacks the nimble agility and close control to escape a defensive press (as, say, Andrea Pirlo was able to). City routinely got around and through Xhaka as though he wasn’t even there. It said everything that when it was time for Lucas Torreira to come on, he did so for Xhaka. And the bench is exactly where the Swiss international may find himself

Winner: Matteo Guendouzi

The major reason why Xhaka may find himself out of the first XI once Lucas Torreira is ready to start is that the man, well, the boy who was his partner today played so well. Matteo Guendouzi is 19 years-old and was signed from Lorient in the summer, obviously with the intent of him being a young prospect. Yet Unai Emery threw him in the deep end.

And in the end, Guendouzi was swimming like his name were Mike Phelps. The young Frenchman played with an incredible composure, reading City attacks and intercepting the ball well, and when he had to contest challenges he did so with an impressive tenacity. Moreover with the ball at his feet, he was confident and showed great vision.

Everything (but the result) was going Guendouzi’s way. So much so that the one big mistake he made, diving in to try an intercept a City clearance and letting Aguero run 1v1, went unpunished. This kid is not only the real deal, but he’s the real deal right now. Sorry Granit.

Loser: Ainsley Maitland-Niles

Unai Emery has famously turned two flying wingers into flying full-backs; Jordi Alba at Valencia and Aleix Vidal at Sevilla. He did this so well that both men ended up a Barcelona. He surely used these examples as a way to motivate Ainsley Maitland-Niles ahead of today’s game, but the central midfielder genuinely struggled at left-back today.

The young Englishman is a versatile player and has featured in many positions already in his young career, but today he showed why he is unlikely to develop into a left-back under Emery. City ripped him apart every time they ran at him; he was poor 1v1 and poor to defend space around him as well. He got hurt and had to be taken off after just 35 minutes, adding injury to insult.

Winner: Pep Guardiola

Retaining the Premier League is an almost impossible job. Only two men have ever done it: Sir Alex Ferguson and José Mourinho; and Mourinho’s only done it once. No side has retained the division in a decade, with Sir Alex being the last in 2009. And yes, it’s obviously early, but Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City look supremely capable of joining that illustrious company.

Not only did Guardiola’s men play with the kind of verve and urgency that can escape some defending Champions, but they had a sense of tactical adventure that will allow them to continue to confound their opponents.

In their first half, City were 4-3-3 out of possession but when they had the ball, Benjamin Mendy moved forward into midfield as the remaining defenders spread wide into a trio. Mendy and Gundogan played ahead of Fernandinho and behind Bernardo Silva, making a 3-3-1-3 shape as Sterling and Mahrez pulled high and wide, hugging the touchlines and stretching Arsenal wide – creating space for Sergio Aguero in the middle. A deadly formation that could lead to great things for Manchester City this season.

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