1Dominant Blues
The stats tell the story of City’s total dominance: 79 per cent possession, 21 shots to Cardiff’s two and 800 completed passes to the home side’s 219.
City were in sparkling form. Pressing high up the field and winning the ball back with urgency, but also quick and graceful in possession. Some of the passing moves we put together were wonderful.
It was the tenth time since Pep Guardiola took over in 2016 that City have scored five or more goals in a Premier League game.
READ: Cardiff 0-5 City | Gundogan highlights key to win
READ: Cardiff 0-5 City | Match Report
2300 Club
It’s been a quite a week for Sergio Aguero.
He signed a new contract extension on Thursday that keeps him at the Club until 2021 and then opened the scoring at Cardiff – his 205th City goal on his 300th appearance.
It was typical Aguero, too. The ball was played into him 15 yards out and he produced an emphatic first-time finish with his right foot that gave Neil Etheridge no chance.
The Club’s record goalscorer looks fitter than ever. His knee operation has given him renewed vigour and his movement at the Cardiff City Stadium was superb. They simply couldn’t contain him.
It’s frightening to think how many goals he will have when he finally decides to call time on his City stay. He’s the best striker we’ve ever had it’s a privilege to have seen him play 300 times in a City shirt.
He is now 10th outright on the list of all-time Premier League goalscorers:
1. Shearer - 260
2. Rooney - 208
3. Cole - 187
4. Lampard - 177
5. Henry - 175
6. Fowler - 163
7. Defoe - 162
8. Owen - 150
9. Ferdinand - 149
10. Aguero - 147
3Silky Ilkay
The man-of-the-match award deservedly went to Ilkay Gundogan for a fine midfield performance of grit and guile.
And he scored arguably the goal of the game when he played a one-two with Raheem Sterling before curling a brilliant effort into the top corner from 20 yards.
He then laid on Ryiad Mahrez’s first City goal with a fabulous cross from the left, ending a period of sustained possession that saw Cardiff chasing shadows.
It was vintage Gundogan.
4Mahrez ready for lift off
Indeed, the two goals Mahrez scored topped off a perfect away day.
Moving to a new club often requires a period of transition and adjustment, and it’s taken Mahrez a bit of time to adapt to his new surroundings.
But he looked settled and confident when he came on with xxx minutes remaining in Cardiff – and he delivered his first Premier League double since scoring twice for Leicester against Everton in December 2015, the second of which was a fine example of his finishing ability.
“He’s a guy who’s going to help us a lot,” Guardiola said afterwards. “He’s a special talent and in front of the goal he has incredible quality. We are so satisfied with him.”
