Sterling and Silva get City's title defence off to the perfect start

The game saw Riyad Mahrez, Matteo Guendouzi and Sokratis Papatathopoulos make their full debuts for their respective sides, but it was City who got off to the better start in the capital.

Sterling caused a few early problems for the hosts, first turning Shkodran Mustafi inside out before being denied by a strong save from Petr Cech at the near post, before going one better with 14 minutes on the clock.

After receiving the ball from Benjamin Mendy out on the left, Sterling proceedeed to cut inside away from Hector Bellerin and Guendouzi before rifling a low effort beyond a helpless Petr Cech to open the scoring.

 

12 August 2018

Arsenal almost replied seven minutes later as Bellerin's drilled effort was parried away by Ederson, before Sergio Aguero lashed into the side-netting left-footed at the other end.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mahrez both saw efforts just miss the target as the break approached as Arsenal looked sharp in attack despite City's dominance of the ball.

The second half marked more of the same as City has the better of things, though substitute Alexandre Lacazette came close to levelling against the run of play as he volleyed inches wide.

Sergio Aguero spurned a glorious chance to double City's lead with 63 minutes gone as he was able to race clear after Guendouzi misjudged the bounce of the ball on halfway. The Argentine bore down on goal but opted not to square for Kevin De Bruyne to tap home, instead seeing his effort well kept out by Cech away to his right.

However, Aguero's blushes were spared just a minute later as Bernardo Silva crashed home City's second.

The Portuguese met Mendy's cutback from the left to find the top corner in ephatic fashion with one swing of his magical left foot.

 

12 August 2018

Scoring twice looked like a hurculean task for the 'Gunners' and though they did find the net twice in the latter stages of the game, both Aubameyang and Mesut Ozil had long since been flagged offside.

Considering that the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Vincent Kompany and Leroy Sane were left on bench, such a comfortable win over a side expected to mount a serious challenge for the Champions League places this season certainly bodes well for City going forward.

For Arsenal, meanwhile, it is back to the drawing board as they continue to adapt to life after Arsene Wenger. 

 

12 August 2018