3 takeaways from City's narrow defeat of Sunderland on Guardiola's debut

With Fabian Delph breathing down his neck, Sunderland debutant Paddy McNair turned a Jesus Navas cross into his own net to gift Manchester City a late 2-1 win on Saturday.

Pep Guardiola's first match toeing the Etihad Stadium touchline started finely when Sergio Aguero converted from the spot on four minutes following a mindless challenge from Patrick van Aanholt on Raheem Sterling.

City was unable to retain supremacy, however, and allowed Jermain Defoe to level proceedings in the second half with a poacher's effort, before McNair's blunder three minutes short of normal time.

Three points immediately on the board for City, but in somewhat fortuitous circumstances. Here are three takeaways from the first game in the respective tenures of Guardiola and new Black Cats boss David Moyes:

Reinventing players' roles

Never has a Manchester City team sheet been as anticipated as Guardiola's first in a competitive match since taking the helm - and it wasn't short of surprises.

Goalkeeper Joe Hart was benched in favour of Willy Caballero, and the England international, along with entirely excluded trio of Wilfried Bony, Samir Nasri, and Jason Denayer, will inevitably be subject to speculation of an exit from Eastlands.

Related: Joe Hart dropped for Guardiola's City bow

The most surprising use of a player in the lineup was Aleksandar Kolarov as a centre-back. The Serbian has shown himself to be found wanting for positional sense and concentration while defending, but alongside the assured John Stones his inadequacies were shaded until Defoe capitalized on some confusion to equalise on 71 minutes.

It was a fascinating system. When City was in possession Fernandinho sat deep and acted as the nucleus inside a quartet in the middle of the park. At the top corners were Gael Clichy and Bacary Sagna, squeezing inside from their full-back positions to allow those ahead in midfield to advance, while dragging Sunderland players into a narrower formation to open space for Raheem Sterling and Nolito on the flanks.

(Courtesy: @leoffmiranda)

It was a fluid, innovative approach that regularly took shape as a 3-2-4-1 - something that has never been seen in English football.

Sunderland can't lose Kone

For around three-quarters of the tilt, Manchester City dominated the midfield with patient passing, probing for a Black Cats backline lapse. Luckily, Moyes can call upon Lamine Kone.

The Ivorian defender was the only Sunderland player to hit double figures with complete passes in the opening stanza (11), and his aerial prowess looked the greatest threat to City - particularly when he stood on Kolarov during set-pieces.

Much of Sunderland's survival last term can be credited to the £6-million purchase of Kone from Lorient in January, and to grant his request to leave - Everton is apparently interested - could cost Moyes' side its top-flight status.

Donald Love, Papy Djilobodji, and McNair have all been drafted in to address what was the 5th-worst defence last season, but none of that trio boasts significant Premier League experience. Kone is still relatively new, but his transition has been seamless. Moyes simply can't afford to let him move to Merseyside - he's the backline's fulcrum.

Pep will turn up the tempo

The possession and interesting deployment of certain players was a glimpse of what we're going to see from this City side, but expect the tempo to be sped up.

City was unable to shift patterns in the final third to cause the Sunderland defence to stretch out of shape, particularly in the second period when Sergio Aguero was easily crowded out by Kone and Younes Kaboul.

It could lead to some more unsung players offering precious interventions from the bench - namely Fabian Delph. The Yorkshireman hasn't been unable to have much of an impact in Manchester due to a succession of injuries but, when fit, can offer valuable energy, versatility, and a decent range of passing.

Just four minutes into McNair's debut, Delph pressed the former Manchester United man to the point where the young Northern Irishnman was powerless to do anything but nod home.

Early stages for both the tenures of Guardiola and Moyes, but one would suspect if the latter doesn't right the ship in a prompt manner it could spell the end of a 10-year Premier League residency for the club.