Having already secured the UEFA Super Cup last month in addition to claiming last season’s historic Treble, City have kicked on again so far this term domestically too.
We have won all five of our Premier League games and are now the only side in the top flight to still boast a perfect record.
Furthermore, City also made a winning start to our defence of the Champions League crown in midweek, coming from behind to beat Red Star Belgrade 3-1 in Wednesday’s opening Group G encounter.
Next up for Guardiola’s side is an Etihad league assignment against Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon, a fixture that carries extra special significance for Pearce who played for and later managed both sides.
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The former England left back will be joining us on Saturday when he makes his debut as a special guest on the latest edition of Matchday Live.
And, ahead of the game, Pearce outlined just why he so admires both the excellence and consistency of the way Guardiola’s City have gone about their business so far this term.
“In many ways I’ve been even more impressed with their start this year than their achievements last season,” declared Pearce, who played for City in the 2001/02 campaign and then managed the Club between 2005 and 2007.
“When you’ve reached your Everest if you like it’s very easy to drop off and not hit the same sparkling standards of last season.
“But I tell you what: to hit the ground like they have so far this season is massive and huge credit must go to the manager.
“How he drives them on a daily basis and keeps standards so high is just incredible and of enormous credit to him and the players.
“City have copped a few injuries and I honestly thought that losing Kevin De Bruyne to injury would hurt them a lot more than it has at this stage.
“But to be 100 per cent so far this season says everything about the football club.”
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Pearce, who enjoyed a storied history at Forest as a player, making more than 400 appearances at the City Ground before later going on to manage the club, says he is eagerly looking forward to Saturday’s Etihad clash.
Having successfully preserved their topflight status last term after coming up in the summer of 2022, Steve Cooper’s side have made a solid start to the 2023/24 campaign and will visit the Etihad lying in eighth place in the table.
The former England defender says he has been hugely impressed with the way Cooper has remoulded the Forest side.
However, given City’s magnificent start to the season and remarkable record of success under Guardiola, he maintains the Treble winners remain the team that everyone else has to measure themselves by.
“Forest have found their way I think,” Pearce asserted.
“Early last season they came into the division and probably thought they could play the same way that they had in the Championship.
“But credit to Steve Cooper, he had a look at it early on and decided ‘we can’t do this, we’re too open.’
“I think he has recruited players who have got a bit of pace on the counterattack well with players like Taiwo Awoniyi, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Morgan Gibbs-White as well.
“They have all got a good counter-attacking threat, but City pose a big problem to whoever goes there.
“They dominate the game; they dominate the football and you’ve got to be on your guard for 90 minutes whenever you play them.
“At the start of the season, I was asked who I fancied to push for the title and I mentioned Newcastle because of the way they finished last season and their recruitment but they have obviously already had a few slip ups.
“So, you would have to say City, Liverpool and Arsenal look the strongest contenders.
“But City are the team to beat - there is no doubt about that.
“Anyone who finishes above them wins the league.”
CITY V FOREST APP COVERAGE
Minute-by-minute text updates will begin in our Matchday Centre two hours before kick-off, while our Matchday Live show will begin at 14:00 (UK).
Paul Dickov, Stuart Pearce and Robert Earnshaw are special guests on the latest Matchday Live show, offering their expert insight at half-time and in greater detail after the final whistle.
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They will also answer viewer questions throughout the broadcast, with audience participation actively encouraged on Matchday Live. To get in touch, send a WhatsApp to: +447537186538
During the game you can listen to live audio commentary from Alistair Mann and former City striker Shaun Goater while our text commentary continues.
Make sure to have push notifications turned on as well, so you can be alerted to key moments in the action, including goals, red cards and the team news.
Highlights and a full-match replay on CITY+ and Recast, can be viewed following full-time.
