Manchester City continued their dominant start by brushing past Watford, in a fairly routine 2-0 victory. Goals from Fernandinho as well as a first from Raheem Sterling stretched the Citizen’s record to 4 wins and 4 clean sheets in 4 games.
A team is truly at it’s pinnacle, when all eleven players perform as well as each other.
David Silva, Sergio Aguero and Yaya Toure may well steal most of Manchester City’s limelight, but every single player is pulling their own weight, as Manchester City continue to dominate on every single front. Their start in the first 4 games, that includes 10 goals scored and none conceded, is the best start by a team in Premier League history. The near perfect victory brought to light a few realities, three that seemed most prominent.
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Flores’ Watford side deserved credit for a first-half defensive display in which they stifled the league’s most potent attack, but there was a sense of inevitability about the result once the deadlock was broken at Etihad Stadium.
Flores has bought quantity, but not necessarily quality
Quique Sanchez Flores had his work cut out for him ahead of the game against the league leaders, let alone the premier league itself.
Flores and Watford bought 11 players in the Summer transfer window to try and boost their chances of both survival and success in the Premier League. Flores however, made the mistake that many promoted teams before him have made- buying players who don’t possess Premier League experience. Players like Jos Holebas, Valon Behrami are players who have plied their trade in their Serie-A at the highest level. Players from the Serie-A however have an unenviable reputation in the Premier League, as many find the pace and strength of the Premier League too much too handle.
Furthermore, the integration of so many players, who Flores has bought as first teamers, takes time. Given the unpredictable nature of the Premier League however, the Watford manager will be lucky if he’s allowed a second to breathe. Although the Spaniard is looking to offload some fringe members of his squad before the deadline day.
Manchester City are more than just their attack
The Citizens rode on the scoring prowess of Dzeko, Aguero and the influential performances of Yaya Toure to win their last Premier League title. This time on however, Manchester City’s ambition to regain the Premier League title has forced them to look at all parts of their squad, and re-strengthen all parts of their squad. Nicolas Otamendi has shored up the defence, Fabian Delph, the midfield, and Raheem Sterling and Kevin de Bruyne have been brought in to improve the attack.
City’s match against Watford showed how good strong their depth is. In place of one of Manchester City’s most consistent performers over the last two seasons, Pablo Zabaleta, Bacary Sagna is proving every inch the player Manchester City pried from Wenger’s hands two years ago. The French right-back put in an inspired display against the Hornets, assisting Raheem Sterling’s opener with a pin point cross from the right. Sagna has barely put in a foot wrong this season, making Zabaleta’s job of re-integrating into the first team harder, after every game.
With the return of Fernandinho to the center of Manchester City’s midfield, the astronomical pressure that laid on Yaya Toure’s shoulders last season has slowly, but significantly lifted. The Brazilian himself got into the action, outperforming his Ivorian partner, by netting in a second goal in as many games.
With the goals coming in thick and fast, and the defence preventing even one from going in, it’s hard to see any flaws in City’s game. None so far though.
Raheem Sterling is exactly what Manchester City were lacking last season
With the unenviable weight of a record price tag weighing him down, Raheem Sterling has had a sprightly start to his career at the Etihad. Though his name was not on the scoresheet for Manchester City’s first three games, his influence was there for all to see. His understanding with Kolarov creates a pandoras box of problems for the whole right side of the oppositions team.
His ability to interchange positions with David Silva leave’s centre backs split, and his overall pace and dribbling just makes him extremely hard to mark. Still a diamond in the rough, Sterling has many aspects of his game to address. That not withstanding, he is a gem of a player who has brought a real sense of urgency and fluidity to City’s attack. Key attributes that they could’ve done with in the slower periods of last season.
Pellegrini will have to temper the talents of the former QPR academy product, but seeing as how he is already in his third year of the premier league, the ceiling is very high for Sterling..
His first goal for the club seemed like a routine strikers finish, yet if one examines just how well he positioned himself throughout the build-up, it would seem as though the former Liverpool man has been doing this for years.