Talking Points: Stoke City 1 Manchester City 4 – Double-brace sees City...

Talking Points: Stoke City 1 Manchester City 4 – Double-brace sees City cruise

0
SHARE

A brace each from Sergio Aguero and Nolito gave Manchester City a resounding 4-1 victory over Stoke at the Britannia that put the Citizens at the top of the league temporarily.

Aguero increased his goal tally in the first half after dispatching a penalty that was won by Nicolas Otamendi. The Argentine striker doubled his side’s lead with a glancing header that beat Shay Given.

Stoke earned a penalty themselves and Bojan made no mistake from the spot to reduce the deficit. As the Potters pushed for an equaliser, City caught them out on the counter twice, only requiring a couple of simple tap-ins from substitute Nolito to guarantee a comfortable win for the Sky Blues.

Aguero in stellar form

With only three games played by City so far this season, Aguero has already added an impressive six goals to his tally. A penalty on the opening day against Sunderland was followed by a hat-trick against Steaua Bucharest in the Champions League qualifiers, in spite of a couple of missed penalties. His brace made it a stunning eight goals in seven appearances against Stoke.


POPULAR ARTICLES

Talking Points: Manchester United 2 Southampton 0 – Pogba and Ibrahimovic star

Paul Pogba match review – Manchester United 2 Southampton 0


The organised attacking manner in which Guardiola sets up his team has seen Aguero flourish more than usual with yet another high-scoring season expected from the Argentine. Zlatan Ibrahimovic has already created a big buzz in Manchester this season and Aguero looks to be matching the big Swede stride for stride.

Dubious penalty decisions

Referee Mike Dean was quick to put his foot down right from the start of the game and was not going to take any nonsense, awarding either side a penalty for infringements that would have gone unnoticed in past seasons. Ryan Shawcross was the first to be penalised after he was found guilty of holding onto Otamendi in the midst of a City corner. Raheem Sterling was the other player to concede a penalty after he was penalised for impeding Shawcross at the other end.

A strict yet consistent performance from the referee who laid the marks down that indicate pushing and shoving will not be pardoned in the Premier League this season.

Stoke lacking attacking options?

While Stoke put on a decent display against a very strong City lineup, they seemed to be lacking in striking areas. Mame Biram Diouf was chosen to the lead the Stoke line but was largely ineffective for most of the game. Having said that, it is also key to point out the limited number of options that Mark Hughes has at his disposal. The ageing Peter Crouch and Jonathan Walters, along with the inconsistent Joselu, simply do not appear to pose a significant threat.

While there is no doubt that any of them have any problems scoring the odd goal or two, the Potters must look towards a more serious and consistent striker who can complement Stoke’s impressive midfielders. Marko Arnautovic, Xerdan Sahqiri, Joe Allen and Bojan are all proven midfield talents that possess creative sparks. Stoke can thrive on a good target man up front but we will have to wait and see if Hughes chooses to alter his squad before the transfer window closes.

What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.