Great result. Good first half and end of second half performance. Average and slipped into old ways for half an hour in the second half.
Stones and Fernandinho were fantastic. Kun took his goals well but faded. Silva was involved in everything but faded.
Kolarov and Sterling struggled on the ball up the left today. Loads of times Kolarov didn't have the self esteem to play the ball forward to free men in midfield and took the easy option to go back to Stones/Fernandinho. Sterling was so predictable cutting inside, the only time he did well was when he took it up the line and crossed with his left across the six yard box but Kun didn't read it. But Sterling stuck at it and didn't give up - he was the best presser on the team today and when he went on the right he looked good.
de Bruyne was involved loads but was well average to be honest. Navas gave the ball away loads.
Zaba and Otamnedi worked hard and were fine.
Tough game though. Windy day too.
I thought they should have had a penalty first half but the one they did get should have been an indirect free kick for obstruction - Sterling didn't foul him, he blocked/shielded his path. That's not a foul/penalty, it's a free kick.
I thought too often today our players were too far away from each other. Last week and midweek we picked the ball up and had close options, today at times we slipped into Pellegrini mistakes again and had huge gaps between players. We also didn't press well (bar Sterling and Fernandinho), Stoke's pressing was miles better than ours.
But great result. And they're still learning Guardiola's ways. Though place to go for us usually so we've got it out of the way and we can think about next week now.
