We’ll begin with Chelsea midfielder Ngolo Kante’s honest assessment of the six-goal drubbing via Football London.
They report: “But Kante admitted the Chelsea players were left stunned but are going to be fighting hard to bounce back in what is a packed February schedule.
‘It’s difficult to explain. They outclassed us. It was a collective failing.
READ: Brilliant Bernardo and sensational Sterling
‘They outclassed us from the first minute to the last minute, and they made the difference in the first minutes of the first half. It was very difficult to come back from that.
‘It’s a great disappointment and we have to react. It’s difficult to accept such a heavy defeat, but we have a lot of matches coming up to lift our heads and give us hope for good results at the end of this season.
‘We all have disappointment etched across our faces. But we’ve got a lot to learn from this, and hopefully we will not repeat the same mistakes in the future.’
Meanwhile, over at The Sun, Neil Custis has reiterated his long-held opinion that Sergio Aguero is the best overseas import the Premier League has ever seen.
He writes: “With another stunning hat-trick Sergio Aguero further cemented his place in English footballing legend.
READ: Aguero voted Etihad Player of the Month
“For me, the greatest foreign player ever to come to our shores. No?
“I have made the assertion on Twitter before and did so again after his destruction of Chelsea yesterday with his second hat-trick in consecutive home games.
“Of course, it is a statement liked by the blue side of Manchester, causes outrage in the red and no little disdain from North London where Thierry Henry ruled.
“There are arguments for a number of players and understandably Manchester United fans will hold up Eric Cantona and Cristiano Ronaldo as contenders for the number one spot.”
After briefly looking at other players who have made a huge impact on these shores, he continues: “So why in this exalted company does Aguero come out as my number one?
“It is not just the fact that he provided the most dramatic moment in any league in the world ever with his last-gasp goal against QPR in 2012.
“Although let us linger on that for a moment, the way he played the ball into Mario Balotelli and ran on to the return.
“A striker with less poise would have hit it then, in a panic and hope, but he took one more vital touch to give him that extra bit of space he needed and walloped the ball home.
“It was a moment that encapsulated his goal-scoring genius.”
Now onto a couple of Bernardo snippets, the first from FourFourTwo where our brilliant Portuguese says the Blues are only thinking about what needs to be done and are not relying on help from others.
It reads: “But while Silva would like Liverpool to drop points, his focus is on City’s performances.
‘Of course, it is better if they lose some points. but I think all of us, not only the manager, but all of the players, have been saying to focus on our job,’ he told UK media.
‘If we don’t win our games, it doesn’t matter what they do, so that is the most important thing now.’
And on Sergio Aguero, Bernardo added: ‘I think you don’t need any more words to describe him.
‘He just proves week after week how good he is, year after year. It is just fantastic for us to have a striker like him scoring so many goals for us. I just hope he continues.’
BT Sport quote Bernardo’s view on City’s recent express starts to game…
They report: “It was the fifth time in six league games in which Pep Guardiola’s side have struck inside the opening 20 minutes, a sequence that includes two first-minute goals.
“With City engaged in a tight battle with Liverpool for top spot, midfielder Silva feels getting off to quick starts is important.
“The Portugal international said: ‘It is true that we have been lucky lately to score early. It is good to start the game like that.
‘It helps you for the confidence and for everything else, to start the game pressing high, creating chances, having the ball.
‘Lately we have scored lots of goals in the first five minutes, which is very good.’
Finally, former Chelsea and England star Joe Cole has praised Raheem Sterling and tipped him to become one of England’s best players in years to come.
talkSPORT quote Cole: ‘I’ve always thought he’s a massive talent and I think he’s turned himself into a top, top player. A lot of credit has to go to Pep Guardiola and people like that.
‘But the lad takes on lessons and look at the positions he takes up and the amount of goals he scores now – and at the age he’s at, there are still extra levels to go.
‘We could be talking in five years’ time as Raheem Sterling being one of the top Premier League players of all time if he keeps winning trophies and keeps on scoring goals.
‘The great thing about him is, he’s had a move from Liverpool to Manchester City, there’s been a lot of weight on his shoulders and he’s taken that on and he looks almost mentally indestructible at the moment.’
That’s it for today - more of the same tomorrow morning...
