The return of Spanish maestro David Silva could aid the cause according to the Manchester Evening News.
Stuart Brennan reports: “David Silva is winning his fight to be fit for Saturday’s league game at Swansea.
“And that leaves Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola with a huge selection dilemma, and may give the Swans a dose of the shivers after they lost 2-1 to a City second XI in midweek.
“As well as Silva, the Blues will have Ilkay Gundogan, Kevin De Bruyne, Fernandinho, Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero all set to return to the starting line-up.
“Silva has been missing for ten days with a minor injury which he picked up in a light training session on the morning of the Borussia Monchengladbach game last week.”
City’s remarkable start has prompted some serious number cruncing, and the Daily Mirror’s David Dubas-Fisher has turned up an unlikely Sergio Aguero stat.
“Sergio Aguero returns from suspension for Manchester City at Swansea City this weekend - but must overcome a little-known Welsh jinx if he is to score,” he reveals.
“The Argentina star has scored at almost every ground he has played at on the way to a staggering 303 senior goals for club and country.
“But, according to figures taken from worldfootball.net , he’s never managed to find the net in Wales.
“Aguero, has played five matches over the border, all while at Manchester City - four against Swansea and one against Cardiff.”
That’s one number we hope is well and truly crunched at the Liberty Stadium.
Watch the players training in Wales on Thursday below
Casting our media net wider to Europe, and it turns out City are one of just two UCL teams with a flawless record in 16/17.
Uefa.com declare: “And then there were two. The 2016/17 season is still in its infancy, but Real Madrid’s draw with Villarreal on Wednesday means that only two of the 32 UEFA Champions League sides still have a 100% record this term: Manchester City and Bayern München.
“City have made a dream start to life under Josep Guardiola and, ominously for potential opponents, the Spaniard reckons there is plenty of room for improvement. The Premier League leaders have managed nine wins in as many outings in all competitions, scoring 27 and conceding five.
“The team Guardiola led until June, Bayern have themselves begun the new campaign with seven victories and a goal difference of +25 – their defence having been breached just once. Carlo Ancelotti also has something that Guardiola does not yet have at City as Bayern lifted the German Super Cup in August.”
And finally the Telegraph go to town on this analysis piece.
Under the heading ‘He sees things nobody else does’. JJ Bull writes: “City’s opening goal against Bournemouth was one of those only a forward thinking maverick might score. De Bruyne comes with a reputation for being able to find the top corner, so naturally the goalkeeper and defenders expect that’s where he’ll aim.
“Instead, De Bruyne plays off this and strikes low under the wall, catching everyone out. It is as though he is a step ahead of the game, operating on a slightly higher wavelength to the rest.
“His shot against Man Utd, which resulted in Iheanacho’s goal, was something few would have attempted or even realised was a chance to shoot.
“Surrounded by players in the box near the goal-line, De Bruyne cuts back towards the corner of the box and finds a tiny corridor of space to shoot (different to the corridor of uncertainty which goalkeepers often occupy). He strikes the ball low, bending it around everybody into the far post, only to see it strike back off big white stick. David De Gea, who is pretty good at reading the intentions of his opponents, doesn’t even react to the shot.”
We’ll be back same time, same place on Saturday!
