MANCHESTER, England -- After years of pursuing his services and a summer of heavy spending, Manchester City might have expected rather more of Pep Guardiola's debut than this. A narrow 2-1 win at home to a Sunderland side perennially haunted by relegation is not the sort of thing that was in the brochure. The fact that the three points were only secured by a Paddy McNair own goal in the closing stages adds to the faint feeling of anti-climax, but this is the Premier League. It has no respect for reputation.
"I realise how difficult it is," Guardiola grinned afterwards when asked what he had learned about English football.