**Man City**come into their first fixture of the Champions League campaign with a morale boosting beating of their rivals. Two men were key to the success and have earned praise from Pep Guardiola.
‘It’s a question of time’
**Man City**came back from the Club World Cup at the start of July after a 4-3 defeat to **Al-Hilal**in the Round of 16. **Chelsea**and Paris Saint-Germain, the two finalists of the tournament, have felt the effect of starting the new season so soon. However, Guardiola is not too concerned about injuries.
“Not one second. It's forgotten and we make an incredible experience. We live really good. We create good things there. Fortunately, we could not go through went through but it's already done.”
He has two key figures at opposite ends of the pitch to rely upon. One of them is Erling Haaland, who bagged a brace in the derby against **Man United**on the way to a 3-0 win at the Etihad Stadium.
With five goals across the first four matches, he is the top scorer across the Premier League. Now 25 years of age, the Norwegian is becoming one of the more senior figures within the dressing room.
*“It's a question of time. It is normal when you arrive in the first season. He came in a team winning a lot except the Champions League. He helped us to bring an incredible trophy for us, the competition that we play for 11 12 13 years in a row. It was a question of maturity, he is a little bit older.”*
He put pen to paper for a nine and a half year deal that could tie him down to life in Manchester until 2034 if he stays in England. It is a decision that affirmed his importance to the plans of the manager.
“He signed a contract for many years to be here and of course it has now happened in natural way.”
Knocks and niggles are not uncommon for such athletic figures, but they are not a worry for Pep.
“There are players with more tendency to be careful but as much as Erling is fit, he is going to play.”
At the other end of the pitch is Italian shot stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Though he is only 26, he has a wealth of experience with his nation, AC Milan, and **Paris Saint-Germain,**under his belt.
“In the last decade always we had an incredible keepers. So Ederson did an incredible job and the other keepers that help us as well and Gigi comes from many years and he's a top class keeper.”