Manchester City: Player Ratings

It was just more than a victory on Saturday the Blues required. After the lacklustre performance midweek against Lyon in the Champions League, the side needed to show dominance. And that's exactly what they did on a rainy Saturday afternoon in Cardiff. 

A total masterclass in football left me wondering in Neil Warnock was, in some ways, enjoying the football on display. Certainly this was never going to be a game he and his staff would circle as one which could make or break their season. 

So how did the players do in the 5-0 victory? Here are my player ratings for the side who moved to second in the Premier League this weekend:

Blues Back To Winning Ways In Cardiff

I don't think any Manchester City fan ever imagined it would be anything other than a Blues win. I had said, after the Champions League result midweek, that a reaction was needed. How we played in the following game would show us a lot of the character of the team.

In the end it was comfortable, and wrapped up by half time. Pep Guardiola's side now moves to second, ahead of Chelsea, who couldn't break down a Zabaleta led Hammers defence. So what of that performance from Manchester City yesterday? What positives and negatives arose from the 90 minutes in Wales?

Manchester City Predicted Welsh Lineup

The good thing about playing football is that you don't have to wait too long for another game. When you have a poor performance, like Manchester City did on Wednesday, you don't have to wait to long to rectify the situation.

I was pretty harsh on the players after the defeat by Lyon at the Etihad, and rightly so. Now it's a whole different competition and a chance to keep pace with the front runners, Liverpool and a chance to leap frog Chelsea. So how should Pep lineup for the trip to the Cardiff City Stadium?

Pep Hopes For Welsh Reset

It wasn't the greatest of European nights for the Blues. A 2-1 defeat at home to Lyon was not what was expected, although with the performance on the night, it was all we deserved. Saturday sees the Blues back to domestic competition, and the continuation of the defense of their title.

Pep Guardiola will be back on the sidelines with Sergio Aguero likely being recalled to the starting lineup. Unfortunately Kevin De Bruyne, Benjamin Mendy and Claudio Bravo remain side lined for this game.