After a convincing 4-0 defeat of Brighton there’s plenty of positivity in the City stories dominating Sunday’s back pages.

Two-goal Sergio Aguero is singled out for praise but away from Saturday’s match reaction, Atalanta boss Gianpiero Gasperini has revealed his admiration for Pep Guardiola, after we were drawn alongside the Italians in Group C of the Champions League.

View from the opposition

Calciomercato.com: Gasperini praises Guardiola

Gasperini: “Guardiola? I was lucky enough to meet Guardiola, for me it’s number one. He is a great person.

“When I was exonerated by Inter, Guardiola invited me to Barcelona with them, helped me overcome some disappointment.

“A great gesture, but I hoped not to meet them in the group. In my opinion we encounter the favourites.”

Opinion

Manchester Evening News: City cannot afford to try life without Sergio Aguero just yet

Writes Tyrone Marshall: “Some things get better with age. A fine wine, perhaps, or a 1970s Ferrari, or maybe Sergio Aguero, at 31 as good at football as he has ever been.

“There can’t be a better striker in world football at the moment.

“The role of the traditional centre forward is supposedly heading towards extinction.

“If it does eventually die on the hill of inside forwards and false nines then Aguero might just be the last great exponent of the role.”

The Express: Jamie Carragher makes Premier League title claim about Liverpool and City

Carragher: “I think this title race will just be relentless.

“People were talking about Liverpool in pre-season not maybe looking at their best really.

“But the reason they’re in the position that they’re in, and [Sadio] Mane has had to come straight back in, is because Manchester City are so relentless you have to get four wins out of four in some ways to go into the international break top of the league.

“Any drop off now in a three or four game period before the next international break, you can find yourself behind City, so every game is so vital.

“It almost feels like a draw is a defeat now if you’re Liverpool or City.”