The first hat-trick of Raheem Sterling’s professional career was the perfect way to fill the void left by the injured Sergio Agüero. This trouncing of Bournemouth was the first of seven games the lethal marksman may miss for Manchester City.
Agüero has a hamstring injury. David Silva has an ankle problem and was also absent. The Spaniard is unavailable for the visit of Sevilla on Wednesday evening in the Champions League, and is in a race to be fit for Sunday’s derby with Manchester United at Old Trafford.
So this is the time for Sterling, Kevin De Bruyne – Silva’s natural replacement as playmaker – and Wilfried Bony, who registered City’s other two goals against Eddie Howe’s team, to step up. It is the time for the summer strategy of strengthening with high quality to pay dividends.
The De Bruyne pass that sliced apart Bournemouth to play in Sterling for his second was an illustration of the Belgian’s elite class. The 20-year-old complemented this by dancing past Steve Cook and Sylvain Distin before leaving Adam Federici little chance with the finish.
De Bruyne said: “We know they [Agüero and Silva] are two great players on the attacking front. But there are other really good players here too. Maybe we don’t have the experience like the others. But we play really well together and the more games we get, the better we will do. Today I was on the left and it was more like a 4-4-2. Raheem is very dangerous when he plays where he did.”
Sterling was more of a floating forward behind the lone No9, Bony, and the display was his finest in City’s colours. The opener was a tap-in from close range that showed a goal-sniffer’s instinct. The third came after Joe Hart’s punt found Jesús Navas. The Spaniard’s shot was repelled by Federici and Sterling finished. Before and after this Bony netted. Agüero’s goal total for the season is eight so Pellegrini can be encouraged by the Ivorian, too.
The manager said: “I prefer to play with Agüero and Silva. But if they are not fit for different reasons, and also Fabian Delph, Aleksandar Kolarov and Gaël Clichy, the players who get the chance must show why they are in the squad. We will continue waiting for Kun [Agüero] and David, but I was very happy with the performance of Bony, Raheem and Kevin.”
Pellegrini added of Sterling: “I said when he arrived here that he’s a very young player, so it was not important the amount of money that we paid for him. What’s important is his performance. At 20 years old, playing with Yaya, Bony, Kun and Kevin, he must continue improving. He works hard every day so I think he is just starting his improvement. He’s not a striker but he can improve his finishing and I hope that he will score more than the 11 goals he scored last season.”
In contrast to City’s attacking riches there is a concerning defensive vulnerability that was on show once more. The goal conceded again proved the truism that when Vincent Kompany is absent the side can struggle. Pellegrini named him as a substitute due to a recent calf injury and the captain watched as Eliaquim Mangala backed off Glenn Murray, who banged a 25-yard finish past Hart.
Pellegrini refused to be drawn on whether Kompany will face Sevilla. “I don’t think Vincent was able to play after working just Friday. He played on Tuesday [for Belgium], recovered on Wednesday, and with one day I don’t think he was able to play in this game. He’s not able to play three games in a week.”
Agüero damaged the left hamstring representing Argentina against Ecuador, nine days after feeling a twinge following the Champions League win in Mönchengladbach. It was his first injury with the muscle since June 2014, after previously suffering eight separate problems in the 18 months up to then. Pellegrini hopes the 27-year-old is not about to resume a pattern that blighted his early City career, before it appeared to have been ended by a revamped fitness regime.
“He felt after Borussia a pain in his muscle,” the manager said. “Maybe he could have taken more precautions but it’s difficult not to play for your national squad when you are playing to qualify for the next World Cup, and you’re a player who has scored five goals in the last game. I hope that he will know his body more.”
Samir Nasri, who replaced De Bruyne, is a doubt for Sevilla with a hamstring strain.
Man of the match Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
