LONDON: Manchester City maintained their status as the only Premier League club already with a 100pc record after snatching a 2-1 victory over promoted Sheffield United.

A late goal from midfielder Rodri provided a scoreline to satisfy absent manager Pep Guardiola who is back home in Spain for surgery on a back problem. Victory was City’s 200th in the Premier League during Guardiola’s reign on Premier League duty.

Erling Haaland missed a first-half penalty before heading the opener from Jack Grealish’s cross after the interval. Jayden Bogle thought he had earned the Blades a point with an equaliser after 85 minutes but Spain midfielder Rodri sgtruck back three minutes later.

This was the first time City had won the first three games of a campaign since Guardiola’s first season as manager in 2016-17.

Assistant Juanma Lillo, in temporary charge, said later: “Pep has always been with us. He was communicating with the technical staff during the match and also to me. All I had to do was move one seat along.”

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