BOURNEMOUTH, England (Reuters) - Sergio Aguero struck twice as Manchester City moved into second place in the Premier League, two points behind leaders Liverpool, with a 3-1 win at Bournemouth on Sunday.
Just three weeks into the new season and last year's top two clubs are already perched at the top of the table. While City's draw at home to Tottenham Hotspur last week has given the edge to Juergen Klopp's side, City again look deadly in the final third.
City's all-time top scorer has now scored 400 goals for his clubs and country and the 31-year-old Aguero shows no signs of easing up.
Despite the sharpness in the box, City manager Pep Guardiola was not satisfied with the performance and credited Bournemouth's tactics.
"We weren’t at our best, but knowing the conditions, the way they defend, they don’t press, they wait, sit back, wait for the counter attack, so there wasn’t rhythm but we solved it," said the Spaniard.
Aguero, who has scored in all three games this season, gave City a 15th-minute lead, slotting home after left back Oleksandr Zinchenko's low cross had been mis-hit by Kevin De Bruyne only to fall kindly for the Argentine.
Bournemouth suffered a blow in the 32nd minute when their wing-back Charlie Daniels was carried off on a stretcher after suffering what looked like a recurrence of the knee injury which sidelined him in March.
Adam Smith then missed a great chance to level for the Cherries, firing high over the bar from a good position after some poor defending from Nicolas Otamendi.
Moments later Raheem Sterling doubled City's lead with a confident finish after David Silva concluded a sweeping move with a perfectly angled pass to the England striker.
But Bournemouth got back into the game in magnificent fashion, just before the interval, thanks to an unstoppable curling free-kick from substitute Harry Wilson, on loan from Liverpool.
Wilson went close to a leveller after the interval but Ederson was out quickly to foil his effort and City then made sure of the win when Aguero poked home his second goal in the 63rd minute, following in for the scraps after David Silva had surged into the box.
"It was a tough game, we knew it would be," said Guardiola, "We have seven points. We should have nine, but it’s OK."
(Reporting by Simon Evans; editing by Clare Fallon and Pritha Sarkar)
