Five Things Learned: Sevilla 0-4 Manchester City (UEFA Champions League)

Manchester City were at their dominating best as the Blues made a strong start to their European campaign with a 4-0 beating of Sevilla on Tuesday evening.

Erling Haaland continued his surreal start to life in sky blue with a brace, with Phil Foden and Ruben Dias also getting in on the act for the Premier League champions.

Here are five things we learnt from Manchester City's win in Seville on matchday one of the Champions League campaign-

Foden lays down crucial marker

There have been contrasting opinions on Phil Foden's start to the new season and how the England international is yet to kick on from the 2021/22 campaign.

The 22-year-old has begun all of Manchester City's six Premier League games this season and whilst Erling Haaland has dominated the headlines with his supreme goalscoring form, Foden showed why he remains a crucial asset to Pep Guardiola with a sublime strike on Tuesday evening.

Picking up a ball from Joao Cancelo on the edge of the box, the City academy graduate shimmed past a few challenges and coolly slotted the ball into the corner of the net to give his side a crucial two-goal advantage.

Stellar debut from Akanji

Manuel Akanji was expected to make his debut in Manchester City colours in Seville after John Stones missed the trip and Aymeric Laporte still on the sidelines.

The 27-year-old, who joined City from Borussia Dortmund on deadline day, did not feature against Aston Villa at the weekend and slotted straight in alongside Ruben Dias at centre half at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium.

As Dias showed his class from the off, Akanji filled in seamlessly and was calm and composed in possession - which helped the visitors pin the La Liga side deep into their own half from the early stages.

Rock solid Ruben

When Ruben Dias tapped home in stoppage time to wrap up a convincing all-round display from the Premier League champions, it felt like Portuguese was the most deserving candidate to register his name on the scoresheet - to cap off a fine defensive display on a key European night for Pep Guardiola's side.

Stood besides debutant Manuel Akanji in central defence, Dias won an overwhelming majority of his duels at the back and thereby helped the Switzerland international settle into the side.

With the injuries having piled up at the back for Guardiola, such colossal performances from Dias go on to show that whilst the likes of Stones and Ake may not be able to play 90 minutes twice in a week, the Portuguese will be a rock at the back nine times out of ten whenever called upon.

Haaland forging special De Bruyne connection

It was a throwback to Sergio Aguero's prime days as Manchester City's talisman when Erling Haaland threw himself to get on the end of Kevin De Bruyne's cross in the first half to break the deadlock.

Scoring his 10th and 11th goals of the season on Tuesday, the Norwegian was at the right place at the right time once again when De Bruyne played a perfect ball in the area that was destined to find Haaland's laces.

Ahead of a tricky league game against Tottenham on Saturday, De Bruyne has set up Haaland twice in successive games and Guardiola could again witness his in-form duo link up against Antonio Conte's men at the Etihad Stadium this weekend.

City clicking amidst tough run of games

Guardiola's men come up against Tottenham, Dortmund and Wolves in the space of eight days as City look to maintain their unbeaten start to the season ahead of the first international break of the campaign.

In the absence of key names such as John Stones and Kyle Walker in defence, the likes of Manuel Akanji and Sergio Gomez rose to the occasion to lead the Blues over the line after a frustrating draw at Villa Park last time out.

Despite the odd draw in the Premier League recently, City have been maintaining their stellar displays since their opening day triumph at West Ham and their latest win will enable Guardiola to shuffle his pack further in the coming weeks.