Manchester City travelled to the Hawthorns in their opening Premier league encounter to take on Tony Pulis’s West Brom outfit. The Sky Blues were hungry and determined to start with a win and did so in all of their typical style. The Baggies never really looked up to City’s standards and a 3-0 home defeat was reflected on their performance.
Yaya Toure brushed off his pre-season blues by putting in a fine performance which saw the Ivorian find the net twice. He opened the scoring after his shot took a deflection and trickled over the line, then completed his brace with a fine, yet powerful curling effort from just outside the box after Wilfried Bony had laid the ball off. West Brom’s demolition was completed when skipper Vincent Kompany latched onto David Silva’s corner and put it past Boaz Myhill with his shoulder. The Baggies did have a couple of chances of their own, with new signing Rickie Lambert’s free-kick going just over the bar, while James Morrison would admit he should have scored with a free header in the second-half.
In the end, the result came down to poor defending by the host side, combined with a sublime attacking performance from City.
Formations
West Brom started off in a traditional 4-4-2 formation, which included new signings Lambert, James McClean and James Chester. Saido Berahino partnered the ex-Liverpool striker up front, whilst Chester took up the right-back position. Additionally, Chris Brunt moved into the left-back role to accommodate McClean on the wing. Former Manchester United veteran Darren Fletcher started alongside Morrison in the centre of midfield, with Craig Gardener also a part of the starting XI. A strong line-up put out by Pulis, but it unfortunately proved to be no match for a dominant City side.
There were no real surprises in the visitors’ starting line-up as Manuel Pellegrini opted to stick to his favorable 4-2-3-1 formation. Bony played the sole strikers role and £49 million signing Raheem Sterling started in his preferred position on the left-hand side of midfield. The only other major change from last season was Bacary Sagna filling in for Pablo Zabaleta. Fernandinho was the only South American in the starting XI, as Sergio Aguero, Martin Demichelis and Zabaleta were deemed as not quite match ready. Although Aguero and Demichelis did come on from the bench towards the end.
Raheem Sterling’s debut
You had to expect Sterling to be the centre of attention for this fixture, considering it was his first professional outing as a City player. The Englishman looked his usual best, with silky moves and electric pace, although the 20-year-old still needs to improve one major part of his game – his shooting. All the trickery and speed may get past the defenders, but if you struggle with the finishing, what good is it? Sterling had two good chances, the first after he failed to put the ball away when one-on-one with the goalkeeper, and the second when his weak effort was parried away. This is not to say Sterling is not still a fantastic player, and a star in the making, he has the ability to score a number of goals for City, provided he works on his final shot.
Fernandinho’s reassuring presence in City’s midfield
Last season, City struggled to find the right partner for Toure in the centre of midfield. Fernando and Fernandinho were forced to share those responsibilities and with the Ivorian always likely to be the more attacking, Pellegrini needed a strong figure to fill the defensive-midfield position. Fabian Delph might have been brought in, but injury has already taken a toll on the youngster. The manager chose Fernandinho for the Premier League opener, who did a fantastic job. The Brazilian not only provided a shield for his defenders but also bossed the midfield, making some vital passes along the way. If he continues this into the season, Delph might find it difficult to displace him, when he returns from injury.
David Silva keeps getting better
As is often the case in City’s matches, Silva was one of the team’s best players on the day. His eagerness to continuously create chances throughout the game make him a vital part of a squad looking to challenge for the title. His short passing is almost second-to-none in the Premier League and the Sky Blues will be heavily dependent on the Spaniard throughout the season. Even with the addition of Sterling and the potential signing of Kevin De Bruyne, Silva will still be integral to City’s success. He made four key passes during the course of the match, which also included the assist for Kompany’s goal.
Sky Blue dominance
City’s dominance on the game was accurately reflected on the score line. The Sky Blues looked threatening right from the first whistle until the last. They managed 19 attempts on goal in comparison to West Brom’s nine and also created the more chances, amounting to 14, whereas the Baggies created only five decent opportunities.
Manchester City conclusion
The prefect start for City as they conclude an enthralling first week of the Premier league in pole position. There is still a long, long way to go for Pellegrini’s men, but if they can produce more of the same, they will be definitely be pushing hard to regain the title. Fans can look forward to the imminent signing of former Chelsea man Kevin De Bruyne as they await a visit from the champions next week.
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West Brom conclusion
Tony Pulis will need to get his players back to their best after a demotivating opening week defeat. A tricky away fixture at Watford is up next for the Baggies and they will be determined to put some points on the board. The club’s record breaking signing of Zenit St Petersburg striker Solomon Rondon will be a massive boost to Pulis’ side.
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