Teenage Manchester City striker Liam Delap said being named in the starting lineup for Thursday’s League Cup clash against Bournemouth caught him off guard but that he would be smiling for weeks after marking his senior debut with a goal. Delap, the son of former Stoke Manchester City defender Rory, scored the opener for Pep Guardiola`s side in the 2-1 win at the Etihad Stadium, running on to Phil Foden`s through ball and firing past Bournemouth goalkeeper Mark Travers.
"It was a bit of a shock to be put in the starting line up but I took it with a pinch of salt and just worked my hardest," the 17-year-old told BBC. "I was buzzing to get the call up and to top it with a goal, I can’t ask for much more. I need to keep working hard in training and look to take every opportunity I get. It will take a few weeks to stop smiling."
With Sergio Aguero still battling a knee injury, Guardiola said Delap would have more opportunities to impress. "We have just 13 players fit. With the problems we have up front, he will stay with us. We will use him," Guardiola said. "At 17, Liam is a different striker to what we have in terms of physicality. We see in training how good a finisher he is. Now is the time to be calm and keep working. We are delighted with his performance."
Manchester City got their Premier League campaign off to a flying start with a 3-1 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers thanks to first-half goals by Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden plus a late Gabriel Jesus strike on Monday. The result means there has not been a single drawn match in the opening two rounds of Premier League fixtures and the 44 goals over a single ‘game week’ is a record for the 20-team era.
Wolves beat City home and away last season but Pep Guardiola’s side were full value for their victory despite a strong response from the home side after they went 2-0 down. Guardiola gave a debut to close-season signing Nathan Ake, the Dutch defender signed from Bournemouth, lining up alongside John Stones in the centre of defence.
While City were given a rest in the first week of the season, due to their August involvement in the Champions League, they were sharp out of the blocks, quickly finding their rhythm