City run riot against a sorry Newcastle, with Edin Dzeko the standout protagonist and fit-again Sergio Aguero amongst the scorers. Three of Manuel Pellegrini’s midfielders grab a goal apiece, though City may have issues at the back ahead of the weekend trip to Cardiff. For Alan Pardew, the concerns of last season are far from over:
Pellegrini Praise for Dzeko
He may not have found the net last night but Edin Dzeko produced plenty to demonstrate his new manager’s show of faith. The Bosnian picked up an assist and the Man of the Match award for a display that tormented Newcastle from start to finish – he produced eight efforts on goal and was defied time and again by the heroics of Tim Krul. With a trip to Cardiff and home game against Hull up next for City, his confident showing made a persuasive case for inclusion in our Fantasy squads and looks an in-form solution for those looking to ditch Romelu Lukaku.
Dzeko deservedly earned Pellegrini’s plaudits after the game but with Alvaro Negredo afforded a brief sub appearance and Stevan Jovetic omitted from the squad entirely, there’s still a danger he will be rotated, as his manager once again underlined his plans to utilise the depth of his squad over the campaign:
“I trust Edin Dzeko, it was a pity he didn’t score because he had a lot of chances and he played very well. We knew with the ball that he’s a very good player but I think he played very well without the ball tonight. He had some important chances and he deserved to score today. I spoke to him when I first arrived and I told him that he will do very well for us. I am sure we are now going to see the Edin Dzeko that City bought from Wolfsburg two years ago…I’m sure when Jovetic and Negredo come in and play 90 minutes they will do very well too. I’m very happy with the squad we have this season; we will need all of them.”
Options Aplenty for City
The return of Sergio Aguero to the first-team fold was something of a surprise after the Argentine failed to feature over the summer period but he wasted little time in serving a reminder of his attacking capabilities. A goal and assist, with the maximum bonus points also accrued, proved a decent night’s work before he made way on the hour mark, with Pellegrini careful not to over-exert him. With a six-day break until the trip to Cardiff, Aguero looks to be in the driving seat to continue up top – as his 12 point haul against the Magpies showed, he looks a real captaincy contender over those upcoming pair of fixtures.
With goals from midfield trio David Silva, Yaya Toure and substitute Samir Nasri – on for Aguero as Pellegrini switched from 4-2-2-2 to 4-2-3-1 – the arrival of Pellegrini looks to have reinvigorated City’s attacking options after they stuttered to just 66 goals in Roberto Mancini’s final term at the helm. While a more open, expansive style of play will bring Fantasy investors flocking, picking through Pellegrini’s various options from one week to the next could prove tricky – nevertheless, Fantasy managers eyeing up an exit route for Eden Hazard in light of Chelsea’s trip to United and following blank are likely to be swayed by last night’s performance, with Silva looking particularly dangerous in a dazzling display on the left.
Worries at the Back for Pellegrini
City went into last night’s opener without Matija Nastasic, allowing Joleon Lescott the chance to partner Vincent Kompany in the heart of the back-four. While Pellegrini’s side opened their campaign with a clean sheet, they don’t have their problems to seek ahead of Sunday’s trip to Cardiff after the Belgian was subbed off with a groin problem midway through the second period. Kompany will be assessed by the club’s doctors today to ascertain the extent of the problem and in a post-match interview, Pellegrini admitted he is uncertain over the severity:
“We will see what happens with Vincent tomorrow – the doctors will look and then we will find out how many days he may miss. I can’t tell you exactly what happened. It may be a serious injury, it may be nothing – I don’t know.”
Certainly, if the Belgian is forced onto the sidelines, Lescott’s security of starts looks greater right now, though reports have indicated Nastasic is expected to return to training this week and could be in line for a return at Cardiff. With Micah Richards admitting via twitter he is out “for a few weeks” with a hamstring injury, Pellegrini could turn to Javi Garcia to partner Lescott if both Kompany and Nastasic fail to recover in time.
Problems Pile Up for Pardew
The Magpies arrived at the Etihad on the back of Arsenal’s bid for Yohan Cabaye, with the Frenchman resultantly left out of the matchday squad. They ended it bottom of the league and devoid of Steven Taylor’s services after the centre-half earned a straight red card for violent conduct. Taylor is now set to miss the next three matches (Gameweeks 2 and 3 and next week’s Capital One Cup clash with Morecambe), with Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa – filling in for the injured Davide Santon at left-back – likely to move into the middle to partner Fabricio Coloccini. With Jonas Gutierrez subbed off just before the break due to a hamstring issue and Cabaye potentially on his way, Alan Pardew is also facing a real headache in midfield ahead of the weekend – the Magpies have one of the best schedules of any side over the next four (WHM, FUL, avl, HUL) but with confidence low on Tyneside, Fantasy managers will be somewhat reluctant to take a punt.
