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Three Takeaways: Manchester City ease through Group C

By J.C. Gonzalez

Marseille's French midfielder Pape Gueye (L) vies with Manchester City's Portuguese midfielder Bernardo Silva during the UEFA Champions League 1st round day 6 group C football match between Manchester City and Marseille at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on December 9, 2020. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP) (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Marseille's French midfielder Pape Gueye (L) vies with Manchester City's Portuguese midfielder Bernardo Silva during the UEFA Champions League 1st round day 6 group C football match between Manchester City and Marseille at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on December 9, 2020. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP) (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Manchester City wrapped up another Champions League group stage with the right result against Marseille.

Manchester City picked up a straightforward victory against Marseille on Matchday Six of the Champions League group stages, finishing top of Group C with 16 points. Goals from Sergio Agüero, Raheem Sterling, and Ferran Torres finished off a successful campaign for City with their fifth win.

1. A Dominant Group Stage

City set the tone early and often in this year’s Champions League group stage: they were here to play. The Citizens were dominant from the start, racking up five wins from a possible six and taking maximum advantage of a weak draw. While we have seen similar group stage results in the past before poor performances in the knockouts, it is encouraging to see nonetheless.

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2. Agüero’s Back and Scoring

Sergio Agüero faced a fitness test in this match after another injury at the beginning of the season, and he looked back to his best with a goal after coming off the bench. With a game under his belt, Pep Guardiola will need to be sure to manage his minutes wisely, but his involvement will ramp up during a busy December. He’s been desperately missed, and it could not be a better time or way to get the team’s talisman back.

3. Derby Up Next

In what will be one of the biggest matches of the season, City will head to Old Trafford to face Manchester United, fresh off a 3-2 defeat to RB Leipzig that saw them drop to the Europa League. With Ole Gunnar Solskjaer under pressure, the Red Devils tend to produce results, and had plenty of success against City last season. City will need to remain focused and be at their very best in a far more important match.