Premier League champions Manchester City kicked off their campaign in emphatic fashion thanks to a convincing 2:0 win over Arsenal.
The Sky Blues dominated the game right from the start and were rewarded with an early goal from Raheem Sterling. The England international coolly got past several Arsenal defenders to slot home the opener before Bernardo Silva doubled City’s advantage later in the second half.
Also read: Arsenal player ratings vs Manchester City: Guendouzi impresses, Ozil disappoints
Here are the Manchester City player ratings:
Ederson (7/10): A decent outing for the Brazilian international, who made three saves including an important one to deny Hector Bellerin in the first half. His impressive technique with the ball at his feet brought Petr Cech to shame.
Kyle Walker (8/10): A strong display from the English international, who made the most number of clearances than any Manchester City player on the pitch. Additionally, he also completed more passes than any other defender.
John Stones (8.5/10): A commendable performance from Stones, who marshalled his side’s back-four quite well with some excellent tackles and interceptions. He won three aerial duels and was an integral figure in City’s build-up from the back.
Aymeric Laporte (9/10): After being given an unexpected start by Pep Guardiola, Laporte made full use of his opportunity by putting in an excellent display. He was dogged at the back, making two interceptions and four clearances, more than any other player from his side. This will surely help him retain his spot in the next game.
Benjamin Mendy (8.5/10): Appeared sloppy at times, especially with his tackles and defensive positioning. But, he was a key outlet going forward as he was involved in both of Manchester City’s goals. Although Mendy’s assist for the first goal can be deemed redundant, he put in a beautiful ball to tee-up Bernardo Silva for City’s second goal.
Ilkay Gundogan (7/10): Tried his best to influence the game but was often isolated by the Arsenal midfielders. In fact, the Gunners gave him very little space to work with, which ideally prevented him from making much of a difference from the central area of the pitch.
Fernandinho (7.5/10): Didn’t make as many defensive contributions as you would normally expect from the Brazilian international. But, he was very composed on the ball and kept things simple.
Riyad Mahrez (8/10): A promising debut for the former Leicester City star, who was given complete freedom in Guardiola’s tactically rigid formation. Tried to cut in and test Cech but Arsenal did well to deny him the shot. Nearly scored from a freekick.
Bernardo Silva (8.5/10): A rather ineffective first-half was followed by an impressive second-half that saw Bernardo Silva double his side’s lead over Arsenal. While he may not possess the same playmaking quality of David Silva, the Portuguese definitely looked menacing whenever he was on the ball.
Raheem Sterling (9.5/10): By far the best player on the pitch, Raheem Sterling once again showed what he’s capable of even in the highest level of football. Drifting past a flurry of Arsenal defenders to score the first goal was phenomenal but it was contribution afterwards that made him one of the more consistent players on the pitch.
Sergio Aguero (7/10): Didn’t have much of an impact playing as the number nine. Also missed a golden opportunity in the second half where he should have squared the ball off to Kevin de Bruyne instead of shooting. However, he did look good in his link-up play.
Substitutes
Kevin de Bruyne (7.5/10): Played a dominant role after replacing the debutant Riyad Mahrez around the hour mark. It will be interesting to see if he can replicate last season’s form.
Gabriel Jesus (NA): Replaced the tiring Aguero in the 79th minute but he could only muster 11 touches.
Leroy Sane (NA): Came on for Raheem Sterling with just three minutes remaining on the clock.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored