Erling Haaland threatens to prove Pep Guardiola's Man City instruction wrong vs Sevilla

Pep Guardiola doesn't want Manchester City to rely on Erling Haaland to win the Champions League this year - although maybe they won't have a choice.

In Seville, as City began their latest attempt to win that elusive Champions League trophy, a new-look Blues side put the rest of Europe on notice that they have added the ingredients that could solve their long-standing problems in this competition.

Haaland continued his unstoppable form against Sevilla, while the likes of Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne strengthened their claims as two of City's most important players on the big stage. Even though there will be bigger tests to come, City's method of victory won't have gone unnoticed around the continent, especially after a nervy start.

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City picked up in Sevilla where they left off at Aston Villa at the weekend, with some uncharacteristic mistakes giving the opposition some encouragement, buoyed by a noisy crowd spurring on the home side. Despite some nice ideas - Haaland glancing a good De Bruyne cross wide and Grealish hitting the side netting - it took the Blues a while to settle into their rhythm.

Maybe that wasn't helped by a makeshift back line featuring two full debutants and Joao Cancelo moving back over to the right for the first time this season. Phil Foden was on the right for just the second time in 12 months, and Jack Grealish was back from injury, adding to the slightly unfamiliar nature to the side.

Another unbalancing feature was to see De Bruyne operating from a wide right position, rather than the central role he's occupied behind Haaland for the start of the campaign. It's clear that he and Foden were tasked with getting crosses into Haaland, which they tried