Manchester City: The steel and style making Pep Guardiola's team top dogs

Pep guardiola's celebrations together with his backroom group while the final whistle sounded on manchester metropolis's amazing win at chelsea underlined the importance of what he had simply witnessed.

Town won lavish and merited reward for the way wherein that they had outclassed liverpool, watford and crystal palace of their preceding three top of the line league video games, scoring 16 desires without respond.

Outclassing a numerically depleted liverpool and finishing what have been made to look like routine thrashings of watford and palace is one aspect - doing the identical to the champions on their own floor off the lower back of chelsea's brilliant champions league win at atletico madrid is every other.

Manchester town may also have handiest won via kevin de bruyne's fantastic second-1/2 strike to go back to the top of the desk, but the gulf between those two aspects could not be measured by means of that narrow 1-zero scoreline.

Manager guardiola's response on the very last whistle confirmed this turned into now not surely a win but an ominous announcement of purpose.

Chelsea zero-1 guy town - read the in shape document
Metropolis lucky to have de bruyne - guardiola
Guy metropolis's 1-zero win because it occurred
Now not just a quite face


Chelsea zero-1 man city: pep guardiola 'glad' with the manner of chelsea win
Manchester town showed familiar developments as they recorded successive five-zero home wins in the highest quality league in opposition to liverpool and crystal palace, with a 6-0 win at watford sandwiched in between.

All of the loose-flowing modern soccer guardiola needs became on display as submissive warring parties were clinically taken aside by means of metropolis's type of attacking riches. It become truthful paintings. The scorelines might have been greater.

Metropolis's win, and its way, at chelsea changed into a specific rely altogether. This became a night once they needed to dig deep, probe, persevere, show staying power.

It become a night to show, in soccer terms, that they had been not just a quite face.

And that they finished the project with such aplomb that, while studied in the wider context, this might properly have been the most sizable league win of guardiola's time at manchester metropolis.

Chelsea seemed jaded after their midweek champions league exertions but there is nonetheless an in-constructed defence mechanism in antonio conte's facet that makes them fiercely resilient even in excessive instances.

And yet, confronted with the sort of ownership "carousel" sir alex ferguson used to talk of whilst confronted via guardiola's barcelona in the days while manchester united lost two champions league finals to his side, chelsea could not keep on.

Former england striker alan shearer instructed fit of the day it turned into a "critically outstanding performance" with the aid of metropolis.

"inspite of no vincent kompany, benjamin mendy or sergio aguero, they were higher than chelsea in every single function and ruled the game," he stated.

What a distinction a yr makes
Guy metropolis won their starting 10 league and cup video games last season before drawing three-3 with celtic inside the champions league on 28 september and then losing 2-zero at spurs on 2 october earlier than the international wreck
This season, metropolis had won seven and drawn one of their eight league and cup games before their 2-0 win over shakhtar donetsk on 26 september after which received 1-0 at chelsea on 30 september - the closing recreation before the global smash
Manchester metropolis's 62% ownership fee supposed chelsea's 38% percentage changed into their second lowest in a home most fulfilling league game due to the fact that 2003-04, the bottom being 29.6% in opposition to manchester united in a 1-zero win in april 2015.

Town refused to turn out to be frustrated at the duration of time it took to make the leap forward, confident that they possess the attacking weapons to pierce even the maximum cussed defence, which they did after sixty seven minutes while de bruyne's left-foot thunderbolt rose beyond chelsea keeper thibaut courtois.

It gave guardiola his first win towards chelsea in eight games in all competitions, not which include shoot-out victories, after formerly dropping 3 and drawing four.

This attractive statistic can be a minor footnote to the purist and perfectionist.

The spaniard can have taken as much delight inside the manner metropolis confirmed their own strength of person to relaxed this win as he did from the heavy ache he inflicted on liverpool, watford and crystal palace.

Pep's guys display steel as well as silk

Guardiola's first season at manchester town become undermined via a soft underbelly symbolised via the uncertainty of goalkeeper claudio bravo, his replacement for exiled joe hart, and the struggles of john stones following his £forty seven.5m move from everton.

Town's full-backs had been all great membership servants however ageing inside the shape of pablo zabaleta, gael clichy, bacary sagna and aleksander kolarov - and it showed.

Guardiola expensively re-upholstered his defence with £50m kyle walker from tottenham, real madrid's danilo for £26.5m and £52m benjamin mendy, now in all likelihood lacking for the rest of the season with a knee harm.

Here at stamford bridge, metropolis produced hard evidence that guardiola might simply be placing the principles in region to complement those remarkable forwards he has at his disposal.

Goalkeeper ederson, a £35m signing from benfica, has already proven his bravery, risking and nearly maintaining serious damage in the collision (unintentional, it ought to be burdened) that caused liverpool's sadio mane being despatched off throughout town's 5-zero win at etihad stadium.

And, slowly but honestly, he is showing the sort of form that shows he is a good upgrade at the hapless bravo at chelsea as he made vital blocks, commanded his location and showed the calmness with the ball at his toes that guardiola demands.

Manchester town's brazilian keeper ederson made some essential blocks against chelsea
Metropolis's brazilian keeper ederson made a few critical blocks against chelsea
Stones, inside the absence of injured captain kompany, additionally excelled as he was courageous in the venture, cool on the ball and played a full component in a consummate city display.

Just to complete guardiola's shielding delight, fabian delph changed into one in every of metropolis's fantastic performers in the unaccustomed role of left-again.

The 27-year-antique who stayed to combat for his area gained a sparkling tribute from his manager because the surprise stand-in for injured mendy.

"the last few games fabian delph has performed have all been fantastic performances," guardiola stated. "he is a guy who does not lose the ball, is competitive and smart. I'm so happy for him."

The facts also reinforce the feeling that town are now a extra rounded, entire group.

That is the first time they have stored 4 successive smooth sheets inside the optimum league in view that september 2015, at some stage in a run of six games. They are currently on a run of conceding handiest one goal of their closing seven fits in all competitions.

"remaining season, more often than not, photographs on course were moving into," shearer said. "in that branch, they've advanced. Playing from the returned? Not a hassle.

"you can't give them room like chelsea did. Touch, flow, bypass, they were really terrific.

"they were urgent and working collectively to win the ball as a team. Chelsea just could not get out of their very own half."

Man metropolis's fearsome 5

Pep guardiola (left) and kevin de bruyne
"we're so satisfied for the victory, my first time as a manager i used to be capable of win right here," guardiola stated after the win at stamford bridge
Sergio aguero's absence as he recovers from a broken rib sustained in a vehicle crash in amsterdam would be felt by using any club - but manchester city are better located than maximum to cope.

And so it proved at stamford bridge as a top-magnificence quintet of attacking expertise blended forces to overcome chelsea.

David silva became the grasp puppeteer, pulling the strings in midfield together with his variety of long and short passes, his guile in and across the box, and his skilled sport management.

Raheem sterling become occasionally wasteful however never out of the movement at the same time as the pace, younger exuberance and fearless strolling of leroy sane and gabriel jesus, both most beneficial league superstars inside the making, gave chelsea's stretched defence now not a moment's peace.

Above all of it, growing head and shoulders over each person else at the pitch, turned into the splendid de bruyne.

It became becoming that every other of his stunning flourishes gave city the win they deserved, a searing left-foot finish that you could hear as well as see, a intention from the instant it left his boot.

De bruyne has had a direct involvement in 15 goals in his past 17 best league video games, with three dreams and 12 assists. Nine of his remaining eleven desires for town in all competitions have come from outside the field.

The 26-12 months-vintage belgian, who punished the membership he left for wolfsburg in a £16.7m deal in january 2014 after making most effective three greatest league appearances, is arguably the maximum influential forward in the department.

"he can do simply the whole thing," town boss guardiola stated.

"with the ball he is a guy who can play exclusive positions, go to the channels, assist long or brief.

"after, without the ball, he's the maximum humble and shy guy. He says if he has to run 100km for the team he's going to do it. It is no longer easy to locate that with type of talented gamers."

Guardiola, so often agitated and excessive in his technical vicinity, reduce a notably comfortable publish-healthy discern. De bruyne is one of the reasons why.

City's fearsome five
Gabriel jesus, 20, who has scored five goals this season, joined for £27m from brazilian side palmeiras in 2016
Leroy sane, 21, who joined for £37m from schalke in august 2016, has played in every game this season
Raheem sterling, 22, has scored six goals so far this season
Kevin de bruyne, 26, has scored in town's ultimate  video games, which includes the winner at chelsea
David silva, 31, who has been at city on account that 2010, stays a key man in midfield
Guardiola have to heed word of caution

Manchester city stand pinnacle of the desk with 19 points from seven video games - handiest everton have escaped unbeaten after a 1-1 draw at etihad stadium.

Metropolis appearance in imperious form however the reviews of last season and the marvelous shape of individuals who will mission them for the identify will mood any over-optimism, now not that guardiola will permit the slightest whiff of complacency.

Manchester united's relentless march continued on saturday with some other 4-zero win, this time in opposition to crystal palace, and they're only behind town on purpose distinction, with the pair five factors ahead of 0.33-positioned spurs.

Arsenal, chelsea and liverpool will hope to exert stress however look a degree under town and united.

Guardiola will recollect, even though, whilst a 2-zero loss at spurs nearly exactly a year ago spoiled town's ideal start and opened up cracks.

This season they're more amazing in all areas in the optimal league on the identical seven-game stage. They have one factor greater on 19, they have scored 22 goals as compared to 18, and conceded best two as compared to seven.

Guardiola will have discovered the instructions and will wish to avoid the pitfalls this time round.