After the weekends other top six sides facing scares I must admit I was a little nervous how my very own Manchester City would fare. Liverpool had fought back twice away to Watford to a winning position before ending with just the single point. Defending Champions lost at home while Arsenal had also struggled, although they did eventually turn it around.
With the money spent at City, which the media reminds us of every time we take the pitch, I was excited to see Walker and Danilo stretching the play. With Aguero and Jesus up front, and Silva and DeBruyne pulling the strings, it was only going to be a matter of when we broke through.
It turned out to be later than many fans, and pundits, may have predicted. So was it same old City, wasting chances in front of goal. Passing sideways and back while unsettling nerves every time the opposition got in our box?
The simple answer is, no. Here are my five talking points from the first ever Premier League game at the Amex.
High Press.
Some stats which make really good reading for City fans would be, obviously, the 78% possession. The high press from City kept Brighton pretty much in their own half.
Their goal keeper, Mat Ryan, was the Brighton player with the most attempted passes in this game. That illustrates just how quick the City players closed down the opposition, hussled and harried them into mistakes.
Walker/Danilo Down The Sides.
We all knew Walker had pace and could do a job down the right. I am still unsure about Danilo down the left, although he did a good job in this game.
As I have said, in other articles, I’m not entirely sure Danilo is comfortable at the left. Yes he can do a job but I cannot wait for Mendy to get fit. I do think we should see if Rose would want to come and play there in rotation with Mendy.
Agueroooooo.
Yes, he missed an absolute sitter earlier in the game, but what a striker he is for us.
The little Argentinian striker sits only seven goals behind all time top City scorer, Eric Brook. 177 goals in a little under 500 games for Brook, who last played for us just before the Second World War kicked off.
Aguero has scored 170 in almost half that amount of games. Brook scored his last goal for City away to Leicester. Will Aguero have the chance to beat it when this City side travel away to the King Power?
Interplay Between The Lines.
Yes we had a good pre-season but there is still rust to be expected in the first few games of the season. Sane and Sterling didn’t start the game but the interplay between our wingbacks, attacking midfield pair and strikers was almost perfection.
There will be some breath taking moves and build ups coming our way this season.
We Have A Goal Keeper!
Ok, so he reallly didn’t have much to do. Yes he did also flap at a ball delivered from a corner, which eventually flew past the post.
Brighton only had six shots, two on target, and he will get tougher tests. However, Bravo’s downfall last season was he would not be busy for the majority of the game and not be on it when the ball did come his way.
There will be mistakes from Ederson this season I’m sure, but he just looks more relaxed but focussed. He understands he will not be called upon many times in a game but he knows he needs to make sure he’s there when he is.