MANCHESTER: Stevan Jovetic scored twice as champions Manchester City beat last season’s runners-up Liverpool 3-1 on Monday in the first major showdown of the new Premier League campaign.
Mario Balotelli was in the stands to watch new employers Liverpool take on former club City after completing his £16 million ($26.5 million, 20.1 million euros) move to Anfield from AC Milan, but it was another 24-year-old who took centre stage at the Etihad Stadium.
Jovetic’s debut campaign at City was spoilt by injury, but the Montenegro striker scored either side of half-time to send Manuel Pellegrini’s side towards victory over the team they pipped to last season’s title.
The only point of concern for Pellegrini was an injury to striker Edin Dzeko, who hobbled off mid-way through the second period, but his replacement, Sergio Aguero, needed only 23 seconds to score City’s third.
“When you play against a strong team you have to concentrate and our concentration and intensity was good,” said Pellegrini.
“It’s so important to get six points from our first two games as it was a very difficult start for us.”
Pellegrini added that Dzeko’s injury appeared to be “nothing important”.
It was a first away loss of 2014 for Brendan Rodgers’s Liverpool, who replied through a Pablo Zabaleta own goal, and left City one of only four teams to have won their first two fixtures, alongside Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Swansea City.
“Up until they scored, we were the better side,” said Rodgers. “We switched off just before half-time and we gave away two poor goals, really. They worked the ball well for the second one, but the third was poor from our point of view.
“It is very early for this squad. As the season goes on, we will get better and better.” The events of last season’s run-in were clearly fresh in the minds of City’s fans, who goaded visiting captain Steven Gerrard over his costly slip in Liverpool’s loss to Chelsea in April by chanting: “He’s gonna slip in a minute!” The tone was surely set for an exciting encounter which saw the defending champions live up to their reputation. (Agencies)