English Premier League: "Noisy Neighbors" Man City Thrash Swansea 4-0

If Manchester City are, in fact, rival Manchester United's "noisy" neighbors, then off-season signing Serio "Kun" Aguero must have sounded like a banshee to Red Devils manager Sir Alex during a Premier league debut for the history books.

Brought on for Nigel de Jong at the hour mark with City having recently taken a 1-0 lead over newly-promoted Swansea City, the diminutive Argentine wasted little time in making his own—rather emphatic—stamp on the game.

Premier league sides take notice: a City attack with Aguero in it is cause for alarm.

Eight minutes into his sky-blue debut, the former Atletico hit-man raced onto right back Micah Richards' sublime cross, which traveled across the face of goal before Aguero tapped in at the far post.

It was a storybook beginning to his Man City career, and Aguero was far from finished.

He became a veritable thorn in the Swansea defense with his pacy runs and intelligent play. Edin Dzeko, who had looked a forlorn figure in the first half while playing the role of lone striker, was transformed, as Aguero teamed up with him to devastating effect.

Three minutes after his debut goal, a brilliantly-weighted Dzeko chip sent Aguero on a race with the endline to keep the ball in play. Such was the new man's determination that he not only kept the ball in play, but deftly flicked toward the six-yard box, where an unmarked David Silva arrived in time to volley home emphatically into the top of the net. A superb goal for a well-deserved 3-0 lead.

Swansea keeper Michel Vorm could do little about any of the goals he conceded at Eastlands—City's class was such that the former Utrecht man received rave reviews for mitigating the eventual damage to four.

There were worries from the City brass that Aguero would not be fit for the opener, but he squashed any remaining doubst with a dazzling, dizzying display of class. He was dangerous from the minute he stepped on the pitch, getting off six shots in just 30 minutes of playing time. For those watching, the action was relentless.

To put that in perspective, Chelsea striker Fernando Torres—in a Man of the Match performance—managed only four shots in 89 minutes during his side's goalless draw at Stoke City.

Aguero saved his best for last. Collecting a pass from Yaya Toure in the 91st minute, City's new No. 16 took a couple of touches before unleashing a dipping 30-yard firecracker that fizzled past a helpless Vorm before lodging forcefully in the top right of the net.

He had ended his performance just as he'd started it: with aplomb.

Swansea should be applauded for their brave performance—coming to City is no joyride for a league opener. They enjoyed good spells of possession, and put City keeper Joe Hart under pressure. The Welsh newcomers look set to take upon Blackpool's mantle as a side that places a premium on entertaining football.

Will they survive relegation? It's hard to say, but as the first Welsh side ever to grace England's top flight, they have already come a long way. Their next two fixtures—both at home against Wigan Athletic and Sunderland—will provide a much better, and fairer, indication of how they will fare this season.

To their credit, before Aguero's substitution, the Swans looked as if they might steal a precious point. Man City looked rigid and uncreative in the first half, and had Mancini not changed up his side, questions were certain to be asked after the game.

Why on earth would City, a team that finished third in the EPL last year, a team with all the talent in the world, need to play two defensive midfielders at home against a newly promoted team? 

Instead, by taking off one of those defenders (de Jong) in favor of Aguero—with a 1-0 lead to boot, Mancini signalled his intent—he wanted to make a statement in this match. He wanted to go for goals, not cling to a narrow margin of victory.

While it was all well and good today during what became a 4-0 cakewalk, Mancini's true test will come in sterner competition—if City are deadlocked at Old Trafford in the 60th minute, will he make the same offensive substitution? Or will he display the conservatism that has fueled questions as to whether he is the right man to head a tantalizing revival of attacking City football.

Looking back on this match, Mancini will remember how his side were galvanized by the infusion of attacking reinforcements. Should Carlos Tevez emerge from whatever current hole he's hiding in, a potential three-pronged system of attack—featuring Dzeko and Aguero along with the Argentine—will be cause for alarm.

Should reports of Samir Nasri's imminent transfer materialize, City's attack will make Barcelona's look pedestrian. That's said in jest, of course, but thinking about a midfield with Silva and Nasri supplying Aguero, Dzeko, and Tevez will have opponents Sir Alex chomping on his trademark Spearmint a bit more nervously.