5 talking points as Man City young guns strike to secure group stage perfection
Manchester City made it six wins out of six as they continued their Champions League defence with a 3-2 victory over Red Star Belgrade.
City were already guaranteed to advance into the last 16 of the Champions League as group winners before they had even kicked off in Belgrade and Pep Guardiola rang the changes from the win over Luton.
But his fringe and younger players delivered impressive performances in the win, courtesy of maiden club goals either side of the break from Micah Hamilton and Oscar Bobb - and a penalty from Kalvin Phillips. For Red Star though, the result compounded a miserable European campaign, with the Serbian side finishing bottom of the group with a solitary point.
Mirror Football has the major talking points from City's eighth straight competition win, a record that dates back to last season.
Hamilton's dream debut
The inclusion of 20-year-old Micah Hamilton was one of the pre-game talking points and it didn't take him long to justify his inclusion.
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The game was just 19 minutes old when the debutant picked up the ball wide on the right, ran at the Red Star defence and then unleashed a powerful angled shot that rocketed into the top of the net. It was the crowning moment in what was an accomplished overall display from the midfielder, and he was inches away from a second after the break and late on, won the penalty which Kalvin Phillips dispatched.
There is still plenty of personnel ahead of the former England Youth international and a regular starting berth remains some way away. But make no mistake, a club already laced with stars has found another.
Micah Hamilton fires home in the first half (AFP via Getty Images)HAVE YOUR SAY! Will Man City win the Champions League? Comment below.
Phillips fails to impress
For Kalvin Phillips it was a rare chance to impress in the starting XI, but despite the spot-kick success, in truth he produced little to suggest a renaissance is around the corner.
The England international struggled to get on the ball and impose himself, and was outshone by the likes of Hamilton, Rico Lewis, and Matheus Nunes. His inactivity this season may have contributed to that, but the chance he sliced woefully wide before the break exacerbated the notion that the clock is ticking on his City career.
The 28-year-old was also booked for a rash challenge and his failure to track back contributed to City conceding. For the sake of his own form and fitness, not to mention his England career, he needs to head for the exit door in January.
Kalvin Phillips was handed a rare start (Getty Images)Nunes needs finishing prowess
Matheus Nunes has featured in just five Premier League games for City since his £53million move from Wolves in the summer, and his display may have been a major hint as to why.
Just two minutes in he showed searing pace as he surged down the right hand side and into the area - and later got himself in prime position to score from point blank range. On both occasions though, the chance went begging.
The 25-year-old midfielder, yet to score for the club, also attempted a spectacular bicycle kick after the break that didn't quite come off. The potential and threat is evident, but he needs to add end product for his City career to get going.
Guardiola gets his way
Remember, this was the manager who once went to Burton in a League Cup semi-final with a 9-0 aggregate lead - and started Sergio Aguero in the second leg.
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And given his obsessions with intensity and momentum, then there was no way the 52-year-old was allowing any let-up. Sure enough, during breaks in play he frenetically barked instructions at players with the air of a man presiding over a cup final.
The assistant referee also felt his wrath 42 minutes in for not flagging for an apparent foul. And despite the changed XI, and hauling off Jack Grealish as a precaution at half time, bringing on Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva proved he wanted a win to carry into Crystal Palace and the World Club Championship. He got it.
Pep Guardiola shouts instructions to his players (AP)The Rodri curse repelled
Ok, so victory in a European dead rubber hardly banishes the argument that this City side is not as formidable without Rodri.
But regardless of whether he admits it, manager Pep Guardiola will be relieved to improve a damming statistic. Prior to kick-off, the treble winners had won 76 per cent of matches in all competitions when the Spaniard has played - and just 20 per cent without him.
For all the anticipation over the imminent return of Kevin de Bruyne, the availability of the 27-year-old could well dictate City's chances in both the Premier League and Champions League. An away win without him will satisfy the manager - but he won't be fooled.
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