Pep Guardiola wasted no time in his first match at Manchester City. There was no Joe Hart, Yaya Toure or Eliaquim Mangala in the XI, but there were starts for Raheem Sterling, new signings John Stones and Nolito, and a deep-lying role for David Silva. Clearly, Guardiola will do it his way.
New role for Silva
Silva struggled last season, partially due to a dodgy ankle. So Guardiola played him alongside Fernandinho, where he thrived on the extra time and space. His forays forward turned Guardiola’s 4-2-3-1 into a 4-1-4-1 when Sunderland were hard to break down. A different type of holding midfielder to Toure but equally effective.
Caballero ahead of Hart
Willy Caballero does not have the same presence as Hart. He sent his first pass straight to Sunderland forward Duncan Watmore but made an outstanding save to deny Jermain Defoe. He isn’t Guardiola’s long-term No 1 but his presence in goal could put pressure on the board to sign Marc-Andre ter Stegen from Barcelona.
Stones thrown straight in
Four days after joining, Stones made his debut with a makeshift left-back Aleksandr Kolarov next to him and last season’s reserve goalkeeper behind him. Stones was comfortable in possession but was rash to come out and challenge Adnan Januzaj in the build-up to the equaliser. He’ll benefit from a more experienced centre-half alongside him.
Faith in Sterling
City are waiting for their £44million investment in Sterling to pay off. It’s Guardiola’s job to give him confidence and help him find the form that saw him impress on the highest level at the 2014 World Cup. Simply starting will have done Sterling good and he won the penalty which gave City an early lead by running at Patrick van Aanholt.
Sharp-dressed man
It may sound harsh, but the sight of a grey-haired Manuel Pellegrini lumbering around in his tracksuit symbolised City’s lack of energy last season. Guardiola, pictured, owns the technical area in his sharp suit, and every gesture means something. There won’t be anything sloppy about his attire or work this season.