MAN CITY 3, OLYMPIQUE MARSEILLE 0
Manchester City won a place in the record books with their Champions League victory against Olympique Marseille.
City, already through to the last 16 knockout phase as Group C winners, amassed 16 points from their six games, the joint most of any English side at this stage.
They now stand alongside Arsenal in 2005-06 (finalists), Manchester United in 2007-08 (winners), and Tottenham Hotspur in 2017-18 (last 16).
It was also a night of further landmarks as Ferran Torres’ opener was City’s 1,000th goal at the Etihad Stadium and City’s 100th Champions League goal in Pep Guardiola’s reign as City manager.
And Sergio Aguero’s 35th Champions League goal moved him within one of equalling Didier Drogba’s 36, a record for a Premier League player.
Raheem Sterling also found the net for City who have in recent matches slipped into a higher gear of performances, this one with a weakened line-up.
Embed from Getty ImagesGuardiola said: “I am really happy how we have played in all our games with no exception.
“We have scored goals and conceded few and in general performances have been good.
“We are in the next round and you see who has qualified, some incredible teams.”
City’s manager was pleased to have Aguero back.
He said: “Sergio has an instinct to score goals and will always be there.
“He had three or four good training sessions and afterwards the reaction was good.
“We gave him 25 minutes and he scored and he was active. We will take it step by step and the important thing is how he is tomorrow.”
Guardiola made nine changes to the side that started Saturday’s 2-0 win against Fulham.
Midfielders Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez were the only survivors as Zack Steffen made his Champions League debut and became only the third American goalkeeper to start a game in the competition.
Nathan Ake made his first time since the 3-0 win in Marseille last month and Eric Garcia won a rare start.
City had Aguero back on the bench, having only players four times since injuring his knee in June.
Aguero had played for only 12 minutes since he was replaced at half time against West Ham on October 24.
City also had big hitters on the bench including Kevin De Bruyne, Sterling and Gabriel Jesus on the bench if extra firepower were needed.
Marseille, already eliminated from the Champions League, still needed a positive result to enhance their prospects of securing a place in the Europa League.
There were a couple of familiar names in their line-up, former West Ham star Dimitri Payet and ex Newcastle United winger Florian Thauvin while they had former Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas at the helm.
Mahrez had a great chance to give City an eighth minute lead, but his effort was well kept out by the boot of goalkeeper Steve Mandanda.
Aymeric Laporte then headed narrowly over from Gundogan’s free kick as City remained an offensive threat.
City lost Garcia to injury just before the half hour as he was replaced by John Stones.
Payet had the ball in the net with replays showed he had clearly strayed offside, but it was a warning sign that Marseille carried a threat.
He then tried an audacious chip from near the half-way line, but it didn’t have the height to trouble Steffen.
Shortly before half time Stones slid in to prevent Thauvin from scoring while Morgan Sanson shot narrowly wide as Marseille grew into the game. In fact, they had six goal attempts compared to a measly two from City.
It was a measure of Guardiola’s determination to win the game that he sent on Sterling for Gundogan at the restart, later revealing he did not want to risk the German aggravating an ankle knock.
And City made the breakthrough within three minutes following a sweeping move in which Bernardo Silva and Mahrez linked to set up Torres to slot home a low shot from six yards, his sixth goal of the season to become the club’s joint top scorer with Sterling.
Kyle Walker’s piledriver forced a decent save from Mandanda as City looked for a decisive second goal.
Aguero’s return from injury came mid-half when, after a strenuous touchline warm up, he replaced Mahrez.
The Argentine had only been on the field for 11 minutes when he doubled City’s lead and put the game to bed.
Ake’s bullet header from Phil Foden’s corner was parried by Mandanda and Aguero forced the loose ball home from inside the six-yard box, a typical goalpoacher’s effort for his second goal of the season.
Sterling helped himself to his seventh goal of the season in the last minute to make it 3-0.
Torres’ driven cross was parried by Mandanda and hit Alvaro only to fall invitingly at the feet of Sterling who was only a couple of yards from goal to complete another highly satisfying night for City.