Pep salutes City’s hunger

LONDON. - Pep Guardiola saluted Manchester City’s stars for shaking off their Soccer World Cup fatigue as the champions made a flying start to the English Premier League campaign with a 2-0 win against Arsenal.

Guardiola’s side featured a host of players who told the City boss they were ready to play at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday despite their draining World Cup duty in Russia. Several, including England stars Raheem Sterling, Kyle Walker and John Stones, cut short their holidays to get back into training with City.

And, despite just a week of sessions on the practice pitch, City picked up where they left off last term with a confident display that easily put Arsenal to the sword. Raheem Sterling opened the scoring with a cool finish early in the first half before Bernardo Silva lashed in City’s second after the interval, leaving Guardiola to sing the champions’ praises. “We played a high level considering the lack of physical condition for many of the players who arrived back late after the World Cup,” he said.

“Many players did a sacrifice, Stones, Walker, we trained for only one week but the spirit is there.

“In general to be at this moment of the season, with the desire to run and run, it was the same last season.

“First game of the season, away at Arsenal with a new manager after 20 years? No one can deny it is complicated, so to win the way we won is more than pleasing.” City look as hungry as ever despite their record-breaking success last season, when they won the title with a record 100 points and also lifted the League Cup.