Guardiola hails Bournemouth as Manchester City’s best opponents

But De Bruyne’s moment of the match came in the 66th when he found more space and threaded a ideal angled through-ball to Gundogan, who ran into the area to meet the pass with a low finish that outfoxed goalkeeper Artur Boruc. That is why he is a player on another level.

“Guardiola said De Bruyne was one of the best players he has managed, adding: “(Lionel) Messi is on a table on his own.

They will be hoping for some exhausted legs in the City ranks as Pep Guardiola’s team look to make it eight wins out of eight in all competitions.

Speaking at a press conference, Guardiola said: “For me, when he’s ready, how hard (will it be)?”

Guardiola, who has anywhere between 10 and 20 staff with him on the bench on match days, believes that so far the results have been positive: “The most expensive thing for the club is the one player who is injured”, he said on Friday.

On Saturday afternoon, their opponents were Bournemouth and fresh on the back of dismantling Borussia Monchengladbach in the Champions League, a few players were rested.

“And Bournemouth were until now the best team with the ball (we have faced) – the other teams have played long balls”.

An 86th-minute red card to Nolito, for motioning a head-butt on Adam Smith as they squared up, took the gloss off another impressive display by City under Pep Guardiola.

Eddie Howe turned to Callum Wilson prior to the hosts’ killer third to inject some more attacking quality, and the forward came close to justifying his manager’s decision when firing in his side’s first shot on target 56 minutes in.

The prolific Algerian striker, a £29.7 million (HK$300 million) buy from Sporting Lisbon, struck with the last action of the first half and early in the second, his two finishes demonstrating the heading prowess that had attracted manager Claudio Ranieri.

“They need to play”.

“They have to compete with each other and we’ll see on the pitch what is the best for that game”. We work on regeneration. “We had our moments but didn’t make the most of those opportunities and overall I leave here frustrated with the team”.

Jack Wilshere, on loan from Arsenal, made his first Bournemouth start, but it was to prove an afternoon to forget for the England global.

“But the minutes will have done him the world of good and once he fully understands how we play and what we want him to do, I think he will be an excellent player for us”.

“Our behaviour without the ball is what we did [well] in these seven games”, he said.