Talking Points From Fulham Win

Pep Guardiola’s side moved up to third, and remained undefeated after hosting Fulham at the Etihad on Saturday. One of only three sides in the Premier League to remain undefeated, with Liverpool and Chelsea the other two, with five wins from five. Previously I had posted the player ratings, with Bernardo Silva being my man of the match. Now though I want to talk about some of the interesting points from the game.

It certainly was a positive performance and a good result to get before we head into Champions League football against Lyon on Wednesday, but what did that performance tell us about Pep Guardiola and his side?

David Silva = Legend:

So while he may still be some way off from being the clubs record goal scorer, he did net his 50^th Premier League goal for Manchester City in his 350^th appearance for the side on Saturday. The man they call Merlin is no doubt a legend for the fans who are watching him now. His time at City is coming to an end though, with the understanding he has an option to move on in 2020. That gives us another two seasons, this one and next, to enjoy the magical feet of the little Spaniard.

Confidence Boost:

It was good to see Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane back in the starting lineup. It was even better to see both get on the score sheet. The side were playing with style and swagger with the only concerning aspect being the lack of goals. Individually though Pep would have been pleased to see both young wingers and their responses. Also it was pleasing to see Fabian Delph and Nico Otamendi in the lineup, and give good performances too.

Gabby Jesus:

A player who could really have done with a goal yesterday was Gabriel Jesus. It was hoped he could provide some competition for Sergio Aguero but right now, for me at least, Aguero starts when fit, regardless. Of course, everything can change with a goal and good performance. Next up are Lyon in the Champions League and maybe a goal (or two) on Wednesday could be just the boost he needs.

Pep Experiments In Game:

Sometimes managers can have ideas for issues that don’t quite work out in game. On the training pitch, or even in friendlies, it is hard to recreate exactly how in game dynamics affect the plan. Recently though, Pep has been able to try things during games, which may come in handy later on. Yesterday it was trying out Kyle Walker on the left hand side and moving Fernandinho. Not sure it exactly worked, but it certainly is good to see a manager being proactive rather than reactive.