As Sergio Agüero and David Silva hobbled into Manchester Airport bearing the wounds of a tempestuous international break, the combative words of Wilfried Bony came at an appropriate time for Manchester City.
“It’s not been the best time for me in that respect and has been very frustrating, but hopefully the City fans will now see the new Bony.
Now I need to take things game by game and work hard. I have to take my chance and score goals for the team – that’s why I’m here.” The 26-year old said.
Those words were backed up by action in City’s 5-1 win over Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon with the Ivorian netting a brace, but it was Raheem Sterling who truly shone in Agüero’s absence. The 21-year-old answered questions over his indecision in front of goal with a first career hat-trick to cement his side’s place at the top of the Premier League.
His first came in the seventh minute following some incisive wing-play from Pablo Zabaleta. The Argentine’s cut-back was diverted into the path of Sterling by Bony and the Englishman prodded home from what looked to be an offside position. Having been substituted after an unproductive 45 minutes in City’s last league game against Newcastle United, Sterling took to the air fuelled by pure relief.
Bony was next to bask in the warmth of changed fortunes as his five month goal-drought ended just four minutes later. Bacary Sagna’s cross was spilled by goalkeeper Adam Federici and the former Swansea striker helped himself to his first goal of the season.
Despite grasping control of the game in whirlwind-like speed, City’s approach in the first half was conservative. Eddie Howe’s men enjoyed plenty of the ball and wrestled themselves back into the game when Glenn Murray found the net with a precise effort from 20 yards. Eliaquim Mangala may have been able to do more to prevent the former Crystal Palace man from scoring his second of the campaign.
But City’s swift counter attacking play was too intelligent for the newly-promoted Cherries. On the thirty minute mark, Kevin De Bruyne sailed a delicious ball into the feet of Sterling who showed great poise to net his second of the game. The Belgian is gifted with eagle-like vision and a wicked right foot – he has scored four goals and has five assists in his first eight games in all competitions for City – and has to be considered as a world class acquisition.
With a mid-week Champions League clash against Sevilla in mind, Yaya Touré was replaced by Fernando at half time. De Bruyne and Sterling also escaped injury with Kelechi Iheanacho and Samir Nasri taking their places late into the game (a rare feat for City players at the moment), but not before Sterling clinched his hat-trick. Jesus Navas capitalised on some poor defending to round Federici but could not tap in from three yards. Fortunately for the Blues, Sterling was on hand to ensure the opportunity wasn’t wasted and fired in City’s fourth of the day.
And it was Bony, the man who walked into the game with so much pressure on his shoulders, who completed the scoring in the 89th minute, turning his man and passing into the corner of the goal to claim a brace.
City now sit two points ahead at the top of the Premier League table and march on, with no fresh injuries, into high profile fixtures against Sevilla and Manchester United.
