1 Fab’s fab
The last two games illustrate Fabian Delph‘s versatility perfectly.
On Saturday he stepped off the bench for the last 20 minutes and curled in a brilliant right-footed shot into the top corner.
On Tuesday night against Shakhtar the 27-year-old turned in a fantastic display at left-back, making a team-high 13 recoveries in the match allied to a 91% pass accuracy.
Boss Pep Guardiola said: “He is clever and I’m so happy for him. Last year he was injured and he deserved more minutes. This year I’m sure he is going to play more often and hopefully he can have a good season. He played exceptionally well.”
2 Build from the back
Big Brazilian Ederson has made a fantastic impact since his summer arrival. At 24 he is still young in goalkeeping terms but plays with a calmness and maturity that seems to spread throughout the side.
He has been a spectator for much of September but against Shakhtar he was called into action and was equal to everything thrown at him.
He showcased command of his box, agility, one-on-one saves and when the rare need arises he can launch the ball into the opposition half with what looks like a mere flick of his left foot.
3 Ilkay boost
It was heartening to see Ilkay Gundogan back out on the Etihad turf in the second half against Shakhtar.
Only six days ago there were fears he could have faced another injury set-back against West Brom. Another lengthy spell out would have been hard to bear given his recent return from nine months out.
In the short time he was on the pitch he produced a brilliant through ball for his compatriot Leroy Sane to race onto. Here’s to plenty more of those.
4 Pass of the season?
There are brilliant through balls, and then there are passes that make your draw drop.
Step forward David Silva, whose lofted, no-look pass for Sergio Aguero early in the second-half was barely believable. With Sane making an angled sprint behind his full-back it looked for all the world the ball would be played through to him. Silva saw Sane’s run, naturally, but used him as a decoy and instead switched the ball back for Aguero on the other side.
The Argentinian didn’t need to break stride before connecting crisply with a volley, only for keeper Andriy Pyatov to save. Watch it below just after a minute into the highlights video. We guarantee you’ll rewind and watch again!
5 Leading the way
City sit atop Group F with six points from the first two games - a feat the Blues have never achieved before.
There is never any room for complacency in the Champions League, or any other competition for that matter, but the standings should give City belief and confidence against Napoli in the next game.
6 Seventh Heaven?
City are now one result away from a perfect September. Pep’s men have six out of six so far, and given those matches have been crammed into 17 days, the performances are all the more impressive.
There is a big barrier to the September run, however, in the form of Chelsea away. The reigning champions are in excellent form, just three points behind City in the table, and will provide formidable opposition at Stamford Bridge.
