Aguero’s Brace Inspires Manchester City Victory

Pep Guardiola extended his 100 per cent start as Manchester City manager as Sergio Aguero’s brace and a late double from Nolito secured an impressive 4-1 win at Stoke on Saturday.

City’s away form last season undermined their efforts to regain the Premier League title with just four wins from Manuel Pellegrini’s last 16 away league games in charge.

But they are expected to do much better on their travels in the Guardiola era and this emphatic result suggests the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager will successfully adapt to English football.

City had won on just one of their eight Premier League trips to Stoke and, allied to the usual buffeting by the wind which regularly swirls around the Britannia Stadium, that could have made this a tricky test.

Stoke manager Mark Hughes also likes nothing better than to put one over his former club but City avoided a potential hazard in impressive style.

Jesus Navas earned his first start of the season in place of Nolito, but Guardiola otherwise stuck with the side that had demolished Steaua Bucharest 5-0 in mid-week to all but secure their place in the group stage of the Champions League ahead of Wednesday’s return leg.

That game could resemble a shooting gallery if the City manager send out all his big guns again, with Aguero’s appetite for goals seemingly never likely to be sated.

The Argentina striker has hit the ground running this season and added to his tally to give City a 26th-minute lead from the penalty spot.

It was a soft penalty for Stoke to concede but referee Mike Dean’s decision to penalise Ryan Shawcross for pulling back Nicolas Otamendi following a corner was the correct one.

Aguero had missed twice missed from the spot in Romania but added to his opening-day conversion in the Premier League by confidently driving the ball beyond 40-year-old former City keeper Shay Given.