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A 3-1 win in itself will be a source of encouragement for Manuel Pellegrini after Manchester City dispatched Southampton at the Etihad Stadium, but one player in particular should be a serious source of delight. Fabian Delph made his first Premier League start for the club and the performance of the midfielder showed all the traits that will make him an important cog for City in the coming years.
The Citizen’s attack speaks for itself and has for a while now. What people have questioned about this City team is their work rate and energy levels. Does the team have enough young legs to get around the pitch and do all the defensive duty necessary? These things are exactly what Delph was signed to add to the team, and he did so in his first start.
The performances of Kevin De Bruyne and Aleksandar Kolarov also caught the eye, but it is Delph who, although more understated, showed his worth in a different way. Pellegrini obviously asked his City team to press high up the pitch and try to win the ball back early, and nobody was more effective at doing that than Delph.
The 26-year-old zipped around the field, making tackles and affecting the play, showing the kind of energy levels that this City team have needed to cover for the likes of Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Yaya Toure. The passing of the England international isn’t always up to the standard of the rest of his new teammates, but that’s not what he’s on the team for.
A deflected goal was the cherry on the cake for Delph, although it will be other areas of his play that will please Pellegrini more. The Chilean signed Delph to add some youth, energy and aggression to his midfield, and after his first start for the team, it’s clear Delph will provide exactly that.
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