Man City drub Chelsea 3-0 at the Etihad

Sergio Aguero, quite magnificent. David Silva, simply stunning. Yaya Toure, immense. Yet that defence. That Manchester City defence. They were, well, Chelsea. There really is no other word for it. City were Chelsea-like in their resilience. They are the team to beat this season, make no mistake of that.

Yes, it is early. Long way to go, all the usual clichés. But this was a performance that made a powerful statement about the way City have grown in just a year. It is more than the addition of Raheem Sterling to an already stellar forward line. He worked hard and adds a threat, but is still finding his feet after the move from Liverpool. 

This was about the rest of them: players who were here last season, yet strangely subdued. Toure, engaged again, a midfield monster; Eliaquim Mangala and Vincent Kompany, refusing to be bullied by Diego Costa; Fernandinho, looking the best he has since powering Shakhtar Donetsk through Europe; Aleksandar Kolarov, arguably the best left-back in the Premier League right now. We knew City would be an attacking force this season, but the defence was a worry. No longer. This was a match that revealed a new depth to Manuel Pellegrini’s side. 

They were not flattered by a three-goal winning margin, as Jose Mourinho suggested; if anything Chelsea were the fortunate ones. 

Stand-in goalkeeper Asmir Begovic kept them in touch in the first-half and they did not have a shot on target until the 70th minute. This was not a negative performance, but the plan was to hit on the counter, and City just directed that threat down blind alleys. 

Costa was belligerent, but little more, expertly marshalled and crowded out in possession and matched physically when he tried to put it about. Eden Hazard was nullified, Cesc Fabregas ineffectual. 

John Terry was taken off at half-time with a badly bruised ego and scorch marks. He usually finds a way against quicker men like Aguero, but on Sunday there was none. Hatchet faced on the sideline, Jose Mourinho seemed to know it, too. It was the first time he had substituted Terry in a league game and although Aguero was quieter for the introduction of Kurt Zouma, City then scored two more. Branislav Ivanovic is looking every bit as vulnerable right now, by the way.