Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola admits that his side were not as sharp as they could have been in the final third following their 3-1 victory away at Swansea City.
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The visitors went ahead in the second half after De Bruyne drew a foul in the penalty area to let Aguero score from the spot. “For how he reacted it looks muscular but I’m not a doctor”. He knows I want more and he can play better and that’s what he wants and what we want, but he scored a fantastic first goal today.
The only bad news for Guardiola was the sight of De Bruyne pulling up nine minutes from time with what looked like a hamstring injury, meaning that the Belgium global is unlikely to feature in the Champions League fixture against Celtic next week.
Swansea’s tally of four points was their lowest after five matches of a Premier League season, casting grave doubts over the future of head coach Guidolin. We go back to Manchester tonight, and he will be seen by a doctor tomorrow.
De Bruyne won the penalty that allowed Manchester City to restore their lead as Van der Hoorn clumsily put an arm cross his face and he tumbled to the floor.
After watching cross town rivals Manchester United demolish the reigning champions Leicester City, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City faced Swansea City for the second time in a week, after the two teams had clashed in the EFL Cup at the Liberty Stadium where the Citizens had come out on top.
“We were able to contact behind the midfield line, with Gundogan, with Kevin with Silva, and we attacked the central defenders with the ball”. “In front of us we have a good future”.
“I’m so happy for him, but he knows that I want more”.
“I’m not a judge”.
City, though, march on, with Guardiola equalling Carlo Ancelotti’s Chelsea record for six successive victories at the start of a Premier League campaign. If the referee says this I have to accept it.
“He [Aguero] can play better – he can make other things that are going to help us”.
Swansea’s response was terrific – and not just in terms of Llorente’s wonderful goal.
– This was only Llorente’s second goal in 17 league appearances in 2016 (11 appearances for Sevilla and 6 appearances for Swansea).
“I didn’t think about what might happen at the start of the season”, he said.
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Jonathan is ESPN FC’s Manchester City correspondent.
