Some things are just meant to be on the opening weekend of the Premier League season. The sun will shine, Chelsea will pick a team with at least a couple of players you had forgotten they had signed, and Erling Haaland will score.
A day after Mohamed Salah became the deadliest marksman on the Premier League's opening day, Haaland gave notice that he could chase down another record. Salah has scored nine times on the first day. Haaland now has five in just three games. Another record could be on its way, as long as City stay in the Premier League, of course.
On the pitch, Pep Guardiola's side got the perfect start in a tilt for a fifth title in a row, winning a tricky game away at a big side and ending some debates around them in the process. Two wins in 10 against the big six last season? Haaland's form at the end of the campaign? Coping without Rodri? All were put to bed at Stamford Bridge.
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As Guardiola waved every member of the squad to the away end at full-time and windmilled his arms in the air towards those travelling Blues, you suddenly feared for Arsenal. The squad wrapped Bernardo Silva in the kind of hug that might have been needed to hold him up after another workaholic performance and Ederson pushed the outstanding Rico Lewis closer to the fans. 'Champions again,' that away end had been signing a few moments earlier. Every chance. This didn't look a squad who had lost their hunger. Sated by four in a row? Not a bit of it.
City began with the three England stars on the bench but the biggest issue was always going to be life without Rodri. Getting by without someone who has emerged as perhaps the world's best
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