Abu Dhabi: After being described as appearing ‘scared’ after his big-money move to England and the maelstrom of the Premier League last August, Manchester City winger Leroy Sane is now positively flourishing.
The City manager Pep Guardiola publicly noted the 21-year-old’s timid start to life at the Etihad Stadium and Sane has responded with goals and assists in some electrifying displays.
The £37 million (Dh169.3m) capture from Bundesliga side Schalke was recently sidelined with injury, but returned to score in last month’s 2-2 draw home draw with Tottenham. He has since netted twice more, including the fifth goal in Tuesday night’s astonishing 5-3 win at home to Monaco in the first leg of the Champions League last-16 clash — in which Sane dazzled.
“At the end, it was a good outcome for all of us,” Sane told media at Abu Dhabi’s Emirates Palace hotel, where City are enjoying a warm-weather training camp this week.
“It was definitely one of the best matches during my time at Manchester City and in my career as well, so hopefully there’s more to come.”
Sane will have to be at his sublime best in the return leg in three weeks, given Monaco’s array of attacking threats.
“Of course, Monaco are a very strong team. We’ll try to go through different strategies and see what’s best to make the same outcome as the first leg.”
Sane can count himself fortunate to work with an arch advocate of attacking football in Guardiola, who is clearly giving his protégé licence to thrill.
But he admits he initially found it tough to adapt to the cerebral and demanding Catalan’s singular methods.
“I had to go step by step to get used to the training and to the system of Pep Guardiola,” explained the man who has won four caps for Germany since 2015. “He’s taught me things especially out of possession, which are very helpful, and I hope to learn more from the team and from him. Of course, the training is very intense, but he gives us a little bit of freedom because there’s a lot of training and a lot of games. “Also, in the meetings we have, we have to be very focused because he talks a lot about strategy and tactics and that’s mentally challenging.”
Interestingly, Sane said it took until December and a 3-1 home defeat to Premier League leaders Chelsea before he felt that he had arrived. “The turning point was the game against Chelsea. Then I had the feeling that I was at home and was comfortable in the team.”
Meanwhile, Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho says it would be foolish to write off a player of Sergio Aguero’s luminous quality.
The Argentine striker spent three successive games on the bench before the recent FA Cup tie with Huddersfield after Gabriel Jesus’s excellent form saw the Brazilian youngster handed a starting role up front.
But he has since returned to the starting line-up in Jesus’s injury-enforced absence — and on Tuesday he scored twice in the 5-3 win over Monaco in the Champions League.
Aguero now has 20 goals in all competitions this season and is the first player in the club’s history to net 20 or more in a season on five separate occasions, with his first against Monaco City’s 200th in European competition.
Fernandinho was impressed with his display against the Ligue 1 leaders and says Aguero’s desire to adapt to Guardiola’s tactics has become abundantly clear.
“Aguero is very important for us,” he said. “His history at this club speaks for itself.
“With the arrival of Gabriel Jesus and with him scoring goals and providing assists, Aguero ended up on the bench for a few games but no one ever had doubts about Aguero’s qualities.
“On Tuesday, he showed it; not only by scoring goals, but also the way he played. Recovering balls, running, pressing, helping the team.
“For a team that wants to reach the Champions League final, which is our aim, we need that spirit, no matter who is playing, we need to do that.
“This year we are showing that in our games and Aguero more than anyone else embraced that idea, so we are very happy.”
Fernandinho says the victory over Monaco was impressive, given the quality of the opposition.
Leonardo Jardim’s side were brilliant for much of the encounter, with Falcao, Kylian Mbappe, Bernardo Silva and Fabinho all excelling.
But City showed great fortitude to prevail and put themselves in a commanding position ahead of the second leg.
“It was a great result for us, in a very difficult competition facing a tough team, very well organised,” Fernandinho said, in an interview on the City website. “Without a shadow of a doubt we are very happy with this result.”
