Five Things Learned: SK Slovan Bratislava 0-4 Manchester City (UEFA Champions League) | OneFootball

Manchester City strolled to their first UEFA Champions League win of the season on Tuesday night, defeating Slovan Bratislava 0-4 at Tehelne pole in Slovakia.

The victory in midweek sees one of the tournament’s favourites in Manchester City take a significant jump up in the current league phase standings, having ended the matchday one fixtures in 19th position.

A volleyed goal from Ilkay Gundogan inside the opening 10 minutes gave the Sky Blues an early advantage, and Phil Foden doubled City’s lead only a few minutes later to help Pep Guardiola’s side stroll through the remainder of the match.

Manchester City added a pair of insurance goals in the second-half having largely dominated proceedings when Erling Haaland and James McAtee got themselves on the scoresheet to make it 0-4, with the latter registering his first for the club.

The Premier League champions are now set to face Fulham on Saturday afternoon, before heading into another international break when Sparta Prague will be the next side the Sky Blues face in Champions League action with the two set to meet on October 22.

For now, here are the Five Things Learned from Manchester City’s win over Slovan Bratislava!

Erling Haaland’s impressive feat continues

The Norwegian’s goal midway through the second-half makes it 42 goals in 41 appearances in European competition, maintaining his place as the only player to average over a goal per game, and his 1.02 ratio dwarfing those of Lionel Messi (0.79), Robert Lewandowski (0.79), and Cristiano Ronaldo (0.77).

Erling Haaland may not continue to score at a goal-per-game for his entire career, or at least we don’t think so anyway, but his early success means he will likely shatter scoring records in this competition.

Phil Foden back in form

After a few tune-up appearances as a substitute in recent matches and only earning his first start last week against Watford in the Carabao Cup, the 24-year-old playmaker looks back to his scintillating best after a late start to the season.

The reigning PFA and Premier League Player of the Year registered both a wonderful goal and assist against Slovan Bratislava this week to cap off an excellent return to Manchester City’s senior squad.

With Rodri sidelined for the remainder of the ongoing season, and Kevin De Bruyne out for an undisclosed amount of time, Phil Foden is now in a prime position to take control of the squad from the centre of the park once again.

Rico Lewis is only scratching the surface

The 19-year-old had just under 100 touches, completed 95 per cent of his passes, created three big chances, and assisted Erling Haaland for Manchester City’s insurance goal in the second-half of their Slovakian outing.

While Rico Lewis will not be able to fully replicate Rodri’s ability, in the same way that any other natural midfielder in the game would struggle, performances like this will certainly make it easier to cope without the Spaniard.

John Stones returned to normal

It’s been a tough 12 months for John Stones’ Manchester City career. The 30-year-old centre-back is a vital member of Pep Guardiola’s backline, but injuries have prevented the former Everton defender from having a consistent spot in the rearguard.

However, an extended break after a successful European Championships campaign with England will hopefully mean that John Stones will be able to have more performances like the one he managed on Tuesday night, after starting only his second match of the season.

Ilkay Gundogan bounced back

Saturday afternoon’s lacklustre performance against Newcastle was a slight moment of concern for the 33-year-old. However, the former Barcelona midfielder looked back to his best only a few days later.

Ilkay Gundogan led the team in touches (145) and completed passes (115) against Slovan Bratislava, and got his name back on the scoresheet for the first time since returning to Manchester.

While it hasn’t been the smoothest transition for Ilkay Gundogan back at the Etihad Stadium, it’s reassuring to see him return to form so quickly, especially after a relatively poor outing during the weekend.