Manchester City stretched their winning run to 10 games in all competitions by sealing a 3-1 victory over Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium this afternoon.
Sergio Aguero marked his return from a three-match ban with two goals - one from the penalty spot - while Raheem Sterling wrapped up the scoring for Pep Guardiola's men.
The Swans put up a fight against the Premier League leaders and Fernando Llorente found a first-half equaliser, but it was not to be as Francesco Guidolin's side ended the day with nothing.
Discover how the game unfolded in Sports Mole's updates below.
2.00pmHello everyone! It's another weekend of Premier League action for us, and today we have eight fixtures in the calendar. At the moment United are 4-1 up against Leicester and all eyes will be on the London derby between Arsenal and Chelsea in the late kickoff, but right here we will be focusing on the meeting between Swansea City and Manchester City at the Liberty Stadium.
2.06pmPep Guardiola and his players have got themselves well acquainted with the Welsh city over the past few days as they have remained in the area following Wednesday's EFL Cup third-round tie, which they won 2-1. Francesco Guidolin's side held their own during large parts of the match, but they were eventually undone by goals from Gael Clichy and Aleix Garcia. Gylfi Sigurdsson got on the scoresheet in injury time, but it was too late for him to inspire a comeback.
2.09pmEverything is very rosy in City's garden at the moment as they are unbeaten in all competitions so far this season. Not only have they not lost a game, they have won all nine so far. They are the only team in the Premier League to have a 100% record and they are heavily tipped to keep that run going this afternoon.
2.12pmIt has not been as plain sailing for the Swans so far this season. The club are currently 15th in the league table after recording three defeats and a draw following their opening-day 1-0 victory over Burnley. Questions have been raised about Guidolin's future amid reports that there is unrest in the dressing room. One thing's for sure - causing an upset today would give the Welsh outfit a much-needed lift.
2.14pmRight, before we go any further, let's bring you the team news for both sides...
2.15pmSWANSEA XI:Fabianski; Naughton, Amat, Van der Hoorn, Rangel; Cork, Britton, Fer; Routledge, Sigurdsson; Llorente
Subs: Nordfeldt, Mawson, Taylor, Ki, Montero, Barrow, Borja
Subs: Nordfeldt, Mawson, Taylor, Ki, Montero, Barrow, Borja
2.15pmMAN CITY XI: Bravo; Sagna, Otamendi, Stones, Kolarov; Fernandinho, Gundogan; Silva, De Bruyne, Sterling; Aguero
Subs: Caballero, Zabaleta, Sane, Navas, Iheanacho, Fernando, Clichy
Subs: Caballero, Zabaleta, Sane, Navas, Iheanacho, Fernando, Clichy
2.17pmBoth sides have made a handful of changes from the EFL Cup meeting. Lukasz Fabianski, Leroy Fer, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Fernando Llorente come into the fold as Kristoffer Nordfeldt, Neil Taylor, Jay Fulton and Gonzalez make way. There were suggestions that Borja Baston could make his full debut, but he has to settle for a spot on the bench. There is no Nathan Dyer today as he has undergone surgery to remove a bone from his ankle. Don't expect to see him back in the fold until mid-November.
2.19pmAs for City, Sergio Aguero returns to lead the line after serving a three-match ban, but there is no place for defender Vincent Kompany as he suffered a groin injury during his return from an injury spell in midweek. Overall, Guardiola has made nine changes to the EFL Cup team as Claudio Bravo, Bacary Sagna, Nicolas Otamendi, Aleksandar Kolarov, Fernandinho, Ilkay Gundogan, David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling come back into the side.
2.21pmWe cannot go much further without delving into the questions surrounding Guidolin's future. The Italian coach was appointed as Garry Monk's successor in January and successfully helped the club retain their Premier League status. Everything went to plan at the start of the current campaign when Leroy Fer scored to give the Swans a 1-0 win over Burnley on the opening weekend. Since then, though, they have failed to pick up a win in the league.
2.23pmThe team were undone by promoted side Hull City at the Liberty Stadium in their second game of the campaign as they fell to a 2-0 defeat. It was a frustrating afternoon as Swansea created 23 shots compared to Hull's 12, but their opponents had four on target, while the Welsh outfit had just three.
2.26pmTheir next game was a visit to the champions Leicester City, and despite Fer getting on the scoresheet, the damage was already done as Jamie Vardy and Wes Morgan found the back of the net to give the Foxes all three points. Swansea's difficult run continued when they welcomed Chelsea to their home ground. It looked like they were heading for a shock victory over Antonio Conte's side, but with nine minutes of normal time remaining, Diego Costa scored an equaliser to seal a 2-2 draw.
2.29pmLast weekend, Swansea took on Southampton, who have had an indifferent start to the season. Only one goal separated the teams as Charlie Austin nabbed the winner in the 63rd minute. The Swans registered just three shots on target compared to Southampton's six, and in total, only mustered nine attempts on goal across the 90 minutes.
2.32pmNot only have the results been disappointing from a Swansea perspective, there are rumours that there are unhappy players in the dressing room. Ki Sung-Yueng and Neil Taylor have visibly shown their frustration when they have been substituted in matches by Guidolin. Leon Britton attempted to calm talk of unrest recently when he claimed that there is nothing going on behind the scenes and urged everyone to show "respect" to the manager.
2.36pmSo, will Guidolin be able to hold onto his job? At the moment, he's still in charge but a heavy defeat today could spark the Swansea board into action. The man himself, though, feels optimistic following the team's performance against City in midweek.
"I am optimistic because I saw my players play a good game," he told reporters. "At Southampton, we deserved to lose, but in this game we started very well, with focus, aggression, intensity and good ball possession.
"We just have to look forward. If we play well and work hard, I think we are going to have some better moments. Saturday against Manchester City will be more difficult than [the EFL Cup tie]. They had a very good team, even if they played without some players, but on Saturday there will be new important players here."
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2.39pmA name that has accompanied the rumours surrounding Guidolin's future is Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs. The former midfielder is at the centre of reports that the Swansea board would consider hiring him if they opt to sack Guidolin. Giggs is waiting for his first job in management after deciding to go it alone following two spells as assistant coach at Old Trafford. The Welshman worked as number two for David Moyes and later Louis van Gaal, but Jose Mourinho opted to stay loyal to his right-hand man Rui Faria when the Portuguese coach was appointed United manager in the summer.
2.41pmBecoming Swansea boss would be a big job for Giggs considering that he has not been a manager at the top level before. A number of coaches tend to test the waters with a lower-league side, but given Giggs's name and stature in the game, he could be a contender for a number of big jobs. The man himself, though, has played down rumours of a switch to the Liberty Stadium.
Yesterday he told talkSPORT: "There has been no approach from Swansea City but, in any case, there is a manager in place at the club," Giggs told the radio station. "I'm happy with life outside of the game right now and enjoying media work.
"At some stage, further down the line, it's no secret I'd like to get back into football as a coach, but that's for later, not now."
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2.44pmDID YOU KNOW? Swansea's current points total of four is the lowest that they have acquired after five matches of a Premier League season. They are also yet to score in the first half of a game this season. Not the best reading for their fans!
2.46pmLet's turn our attention to Man City, shall we? They have had the perfect start to the campaign with a 100% record. The club were pushed high up the list of title contenders when Guardiola was announced as their new manager. The Spaniard has not disappointed so far as they search for their 10th consecutive win this afternoon.
2.47pmI think it's fair to say, there were some nerves in City's opening match of the season when Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe cancelled out Sergio Aguero's early strike at the Etihad Stadium. It took a Paddy McNair own goal in the 87th minute to make sure that City went away with all three points.
2.50pmFrom that point on, though, City have been dominant in the league - beating Stoke City, West Ham United, Manchester United and Bournemouth. They have scored no less than two goals in the top flight so far and certain players have been shining. Aguero was always expected to thrive under Guardiola, while Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling have particularly impressed under the Spaniard's guidance.
2.50pmNot only have City moved to the top of the table, they have also claimed bragging rights in Manchester following their 2-1 victory over United at Old Trafford earlier this month. It was the first time that Guardiola and Jose Mourinho have met since they were appointed by their respective clubs. City dominated the first half and it paid off as De Bruyne and Kelechi Iheanacho scored. United found their feet in the second half after Zlatan Ibrahimovic gave them some hope just before the break, but they could not complete a comeback.
2.52pmIn the Champions League, life is going swimmingly for City as well. After comfortably seeing off Steaua Bucuresti in the playoff round across two legs, they faced their first opposition in the group stage. The match against Borussia Monchengladbach was postponed for 24 hours due to torrential rain, but it did not affect City's mindset as they comfortably earned a 4-0 win, with Aguero netting a hat-trick and Iheanacho adding to the scoresheet.
2.53pmGuardiola has also shown a ruthlessness regarding team selection. Joe Hart, who has been City's number one for many years, was shifted on loan to Torino after Claudio Bravo was brought in from Barcelona.
The Spaniard recently spoke about his decision to offload Hart. He told reporters: "Believe me I don't take these decisions to show my authority. I don't like to take these decisions.
"The toughest decision I made was over Joe. I know what Joe Hart means to this club. His behaviour, from the beginning when we spoke to each other, Joe with me - it was tough. When I take a decision it is always because I am thinking what is the best for Manchester City. I learned that in Barcelona.
"I have to be honest with myself. I have to be honest with the club. So the club - I take the decision always for the benefit of the club. Knowing maybe I am going to make a mistake, but I still have to do it."
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2.54pmAlso, there seems to be some tension off the pitch in relation to Yaya Toure's position at the club. The midfielder has not played in the Premier League yet this season and he won't at all unless someone apologises...
2.54pmThat person is Toure's agent Dimitri Seluk, who slammed Guardiola for dropping the midfielder from the Champions League squad. Recently, the manager said in a press conference that Toure will not feature again unless his representative says sorry for his comments to the media. Seluk has no plans to do that, though, and he has continued to criticise the Spaniard. Watch this space...
2.56pmSTATS! City can make history this afternoon if they beat Swansea on away turf. They have never won their opening six Premier League games before. Also, only one manager - Carlo Ancelotti - has won his first six league games. Over to you, Pep...
2.56pmHEAD TO HEAD: City have not lost to Swansea in their last eight league meetings having won six and drawn two. In fact, the last time that the Welsh outfit secured a league win over the blue half of Manchester was in March 2012 when they earned a 1-0 triumph at the Liberty Stadium.
2.58pmBoth teams are out onto the pitch and we are minutes away from kickoff. How do you see this one turning out? We don't have long to find out...
1 minKICKOFF! We're underway at the Liberty Stadium! Neil Swarbrick is the referee this afternoon.
2 minIt's early days of course, but City have had the most touches as they try to get a feel for the game. They are yet to produce any attempts on Swansea's goal yet, though.
4 minCity lose possession when Stones gives the ball away to Fer, whose first ball to Sigurdsson gets blocked. He gets a second chance, though, and the Icelandic midfielder crosses to Routledge in the box, but his header is weak.
5 minSwansea have started well here. Routledge finds Cork with a cross, but the whistle blows when the Swansea midfielder catches Silva. Sigurdsson doesn't appear to have heard it, though, as he sends the ball into the corner of the net. It doesn't count.
7 minAt the other end, City get a sniff at goal as Fernandinho unleashes a 30-yard shot, but it's sent out for a corner by Amat. The ball is swung in from Silva, but Fer manages to clear.
9 minGOAL! SWANSEA 0-1 MAN CITY (AGUERO)
9 minIt's that man again! Aguero puts City in front inside the first 10 minutes of the clash. He's missed the last three games because of suspension, but he's showing no signs of rustiness! Fernandinho sends a cross-field pass to Sagne, who delivers a low cross into the box for Aguero. The Argentine controls the ball before hammering it into the back of the net.
12 minSAVE! What a great response from Swansea! Llorente gets the ball in the box, but his close-range shot forces a stop from Bravo.
13 minGOAL! SWANSEA 1-1 MAN CITY (LLORENTE)
13 minGame on! As I said, it's been a great response from the Welsh outfit and they get their rewards. Sigurdsson delivers the ball to Llorente, whose played onside by Kolarov, and the forward smashes a volley into the back of the net.
16 minCity have woken up! Van der Hoorn gives away a free kick in a decent area for City. De Bruyne lines up to take it, but it's wasted as the ball soars into the stands.
19 minCHANCE! Sterling shows good movement as he gets in behind Amat to get on the end of Silva's ball over the top. However, the England international's first touch is poor and Fabianski manages to grab the ball.
21 minSwansea go hunting for a second goal as Llorente and Sigurdsson exchange passes before the midfielder passes in behind to Routledge, but the move breaks down.
23 minGundogan wastes a chance to play Sterling down the left-hand side as he overhits his pass and the ball trickles out for a goal kick.
24 minSterling is involved again as Aguero whips a cross towards his teammate at the back post, but the former Liverpool man's caught offside. He failed to get a decent touch on the ball anyway.
25 minSilva nutmegs Van der Hoorn and aims for Aguero, but the Spaniard's pass fails to reach its target. City are seeing more of the ball, but you wouldn't rule out Swansea taking the lead.
28 minNO PENALTY! Sterling wants a penalty but the referee waves his claims. The winger tries to cut back into the box but is brought down by Rangel. Nothing given.
29 minCHANCE! Aguero goes close to scoring his second by picking up the loose ball and aiming for goal, but his attempt drops onto the roof of the net.
31 minBOOKING! Sagna gets the first yellow card of the game after bringing down Naughton.
32 minNO PENALTY! Swansea are calling for a penalty now. Van der Hoorn tries to meet the ball for a header in the box, but Fernandinho blocks his run. The referee says no.
33 minCHANCE! The hosts are certainly matching City here! Sigurdsson nicks the ball off Aguero on the edge of the box. He chips the ball over to Van der Hoorn, whose header goes over the bar.
34 minWIDE! Oh De Bruyne, you should have done much better with that! Gundogan finds the Belgian on the edge of the area. He goes for glory with his right foot, but the ball drops just wide of the post.
37 minSwansea get a free kick from around 35 yards out. It's taken by Sigurdsson and he manages to find the target, but Bravo comfortably drops down to make a save.
38 minBOOKING! Silva receives a caution from the referee for... well, we're not entirely sure. There doesn't seem to be a big incident, so perhaps it was dissent.
44 minSwansea struggle to clear the danger in their box and Gundogan latches onto the ball before smashing a shot. It gets deflected behind for a corner, which is taken by De Bruyne. It's whipped in, but Fer nudges it away at the near post.
45 minCity get a deep free kick and it's taken by De Bruyne. Otamendi heads it back across goal for Kolarov, but Van der Hoorn - with the help of his goalkeeper - manages to clear the ball, preventing the City full-back from tapping in from three yards out.
45+2 minHALF-TIME: SWANSEA 1-1 MAN CITY
3.48pmThe match is nicely poised as we enter the half-time break 1-1. Sergio Aguero, who started after serving a three-match ban, put Manchester City in the lead inside the first 10 minutes of the match. Swansea City responded very well, though, as Fernando Llorente scored his first goal for the club just four minutes later. City are looking for their 10th straight win of the campaign, but the Swans are looking to spoil the party as they have so far matched Pep Guardiola's side well. We'll see if anyone can find a winner in the second half! Join us again shortly.
46 minRESTART! Swansea get us underway for the second half! Will there be a winner? Let's find out!
48 minSwansea have begun the second half like they ended the first! Fer begins the attacking move as he charges into City's half. Routledge gets the ball and plays a one-two with Sigurdsson, who crosses for Llorente, but the ball is overhit.
50 minCHANCE! City win a corner after Rangel knocks the ball from Silva's pass. The Spaniard takes the set piece, which finds Stones, but the centre-back fails to control a header and the ball drops wide.
51 minFer releases Llorente down the right and the Spanish forward whips the ball into the box, but Stones clears. Some nervy defending from City at times.
53 minDe Bruyne finds space and manages to break away from Van der Hoorn before unleashing a shot with his left foot. There's not much power on it, though, and the ball ends up hitting Sterling on the back.
54 minCHANCE! At the other end, Sigurdsson hits a shot on the volley, but the ball loops over the top of the bar.
58 minCHANCE! Amat saves Swansea with a well-timed block! Aguero gets on the end of Silva's pass and sets up a strike from seven yards out, but Amat's lunge forces the ball over the bar. Crucial!
59 minBOOKING! Amat is the next in the referee's book as he is punished for fouling Sterling.
60 minCity start to get on top as Aguero and De Bruyne change passes before the ball is delivered to Sterling. The winger goes for goal, but he wastes the chance with a poor touch.
61 minCity have stepped up and they look the more likely to find a winner before the 90 minutes are up. Guardiola's side are dominating the ball, and you feel like it's only a matter of time.
64 minPENALTY TO MAN CITY!
64 minOh dear! Van der Hoorn gives away a penalty for an arm across the face of De Bruyne. In fairness, it looks quite harsh as he did win the ball first. It's been given, though.
65 minGOAL! SWANSEA 1-2 MAN CITY (AGUERO)
65 minHe has his second goal! Aguero puts City into the lead once again with a lovely penalty! The Argentine sends the ball down the middle to claim his 11th goal of the season.
70 minMAN CITY SUB: The visitors make the first substitute of the game as Gundogan is replaced with Fernando. Perhaps Guardiola wants to hold on?
73 minSWANSEA SUBS: Francesco Guidolin makes a double change as Barrow and Ki come on for Routledge and Cork.
74 minSAVE! Good work from Fabianski as he manages to tip Silva's strike over the bar. The resulting corner finds Fernandinho in the box, but he heads wide.
77 minGOAL! SWANSEA 1-3 MAN CITY (STERLING)
77 minCity go out of sight at the Liberty! The visitors break from a Swansea corner and it's Sterling who leads the charge as he goes one on one with Naughton before slotting the ball underneath Fabianski.
79 minMAN CITY SUB: Zabaleta replaces Sagna with just over 10 minutes of normal time remaining.
80 minSWANSEA SUB: Record signing Borja comes on for Britton. Can he inspire a late comeback?
82 minMAN CITY SUB: Oh dear, bad news for City as De Bruyne hobbles off the pitch with what looks like a hamstring injury. Navas comes on to replace him.
88 minBOOKING! Kolarov goes into the book for a challenge on Barrow.
89 minThe clock is ticking down and it seems as though City will claim their 10th consecutive win of the season. Not too shabby!
90 minFour minutes of time added on! Too late for a comeback? (Most likely)
90+5 minFULL-TIME: SWANSEA CITY 1-3 MANCHESTER CITY
4.56pmIt's all over at the Liberty Stadium and Manchester City have extended their winning run to 10 matches in all competitions. Sergio Aguero marked his return from a three-match ban by scoring twice, once from the penalty spot. Swansea held their own at times and found an equaliser through Fernando Llorente, but City eventually began dominating proceedings. Raheem Sterling wrapped up the match with a goal 12 minutes from time. Thank you for joining us, and until next time, goodbye!
