Cole Palmer would love to stay and play for Manchester City but the homegrown talent admits his future is up in the air as he wants regular football.

The 21-year-old has been with the club since Under-8s level and progressed through the academy ranks, going on to make his first-team debut in September 2020.

But Palmer has found opportunities limited due to the fierce competition at City and has been linked with a summer move on the back of his role in England Under-21s’ European Championship triumph.

The forward got the starts he craved in the Community Shield and UEFA Super Cup, scoring in both matches and being named man of the match for his role in the latter match.

Pep Guardiola praised Palmer after his performance in Wednesday’s Piraeus shoot-out triumph but offered no certainty on his City future beyond the fact he would not be sent out on loan.

“I have no idea (what the future holds),” Palmer said at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium, where his looping header sealed a 1-1 draw that his side followed with a 5-4 spot-kick win.

“I just want to play football. So whatever the best decision is when we speak together, that is what I will do.

“Obviously the best scenario is to stay at City and play but obviously you know what the competition is like, if they bring someone in…”

Palmer puffed his cheeks out before continuing: “I don’t know. I just want to play regularly, like lots of minutes and stuff so we will see.”

He has reportedly attracted interest from the likes of West Ham, Burnley and Leicester, as well as ever-improving Brighton.

This certainly looks an important stage in the 21-year-old’s career, especially after a combination of injury and competition restricted him to just seven starts last term.

“This summer I was playing a lot and when we came back I was given the opportunity twice,” Palmer said.

“I have always been confident but it’s more rhythm, match sharpness and stuff like that. It really helps when you are playing consistently.

“Obviously it’s been a couple of good games for me, but I don’t know. I will have to see what the future holds.”

While Palmer ponders whether his future lies away from the Etihad Stadium, new signing Josko Gvardiol is just getting started. The 21-year-old joined City from RB Leipzig earlier this month for £77.6million and, having come off the bench to make his debut at Burnley on Friday, ended his first start with silverware.

“I’m feeling amazing,” Croatia defender Gvardiol said. “First game and first trophy, I couldn’t imagine a better start. I think it’s just the first of many.

“We are aware that we don’t have the opportunity to fight for this trophy every day. We had a chance and we took it.

“We know there is a reason they are in the final. They have to know our qualities. We deserved it. We can celebrate.”

City are likely to be active in the transfer market before the window closes and the PA news agency understands Boca Juniors’ Valentin Barco is among those of interest. The 19-year-old left-back came through the Buenos Aires giants’ youth system and is also said to be on Brighton’s radar.

Pep Guardiola is targeting the Club World Cup to complete the set after Manchester City overcame a sloppy start to beat Sevilla on spot-kicks to lift the UEFA Super Cup.

Two months on from becoming the second English club in history to win the treble, the Champions League holders faced the record Europa League winners in Greece.

Sevilla took the lead through Youssef En-Nesyri’s towering header and had numerous chances to extend their lead before City struck back through Cole Palmer’s looping header.

The Super Cup ended 1-1 after 90 minutes and Guardiola’s men triumphed on penalties 5-4 after Nemanja Gudelj smashed the last spot-kick of the shoot-out off the bar.

This was the first time City have won the competition and the Spaniard is determined to add the Club World Cup to their cabinet in December.

“Of course we are not in the best, best moment, I would say,” Guardiola said after winning his fourth Super Cup as a coach.

“But knowing a little bit the players and the mentality of the backroom staff, I had a feeling that we will try.

“We are really pleased to have already one title in this season. Really pleased for the club – this title we didn’t have and now we have it.

“We miss just one to finish all circle and be able for this club to win all the titles we can have. It’s happening in December, when we go to Saudi Arabia to play there, the (Club) World Cup.

“I would say really, really pleased. A tight game like happened in the (Champions League) final against Inter, a tight game that we lost in the last minute against Arsenal (in the Community Shield). Football in these stages, in that moment, in that period is a coin (flip).”

This was an energy-sapping night for City in hot and humid Piraeus, where the match kicked off at 10pm local time and finished in the early hours of Thursday morning.

It is a quick turnaround after a tough test, leading Guardiola to take a pop at the Premier League for scheduling their next match against Newcastle on Saturday evening.

“Of course tomorrow will be even more happier than today,” he said, with City due to fly back to the north west on Thursday.

“Recover, not one drop of alcohol today. Recover as much as possible because again, from Greece, thank you so much for the Premier League to let us play on Saturday. And not on Sunday and Monday. Thank you so much.”

The star man for City was player of the match Palmer, who followed his fine finish in the eventual Community Shield shoot-out loss to Arsenal by scoring a clever header in Greece.

The 21-year-old has been subject of speculation this summer and Guardiola ruled out a loan move for the home-grown talent.

“The opinion I had when he arrived is he wanted to leave, but now I don’t know what’s going to happen,” he said.

“I don’t think a loan is going to happen. He’s going to stay or going to sell, but I think a loan is not going to happen.

“He has a character. It’s not easy to play against defenders like (Marcos) Acuna, for example, who is a top defender.

“It’s not easy, it’s a final. He’s a young player playing in these stages. It’s not easy for these guys. He played really, really good and made a fantastic goal, too.”

As for Sevilla, the shoot-out heartbreak represented a sixth successive Super Cup loss.

Head coach Jose Luis Mendilibar said: “To make a good plan against a team as good as City is very complicated. I really wish we’d played higher up the pitch and put them under more pressure.

“When we had the chances to score the second goal, we didn’t take them. But I really believe we played a good game, and we probably created more chances than them.”

Manchester City won their first silverware of the campaign as Pep Guardiola’s side survived a sloppy start to triumph on spot-kicks against Sevilla and lift the UEFA Super Cup.

Having lost the Community Shield to Arsenal on penalties 10 days ago, last season’s swashbuckling treble winners initially wilted in the Greek heat versus the Europa League holders.

Youssef En-Nesyri put Sevilla ahead and City rode their luck, only to draw level through Cole Palmer’s looping header as their maiden Super Cup appearance ended 1-1 after 90 minutes and went to a shoot-out.

The first nine penalty takers all converted before Nemanja Gudelj smashed his effort off the crossbar, seeing Guardiola’s Champions League winners triumph 5-4 on spot-kicks in Piraeus.

The Spaniard became the first manager to win the Super Cup with three different teams and equalled Carlo Ancelotti’s record of four competition victories as coach.

City are the sixth English side to lift the trophy but were made to sweat by Jose Luis Mendilibar’s Sevilla, who went ahead through En-Nesyri’s powerful first-half header.

The LaLiga outfit could easily have grabbed a second during a strong start to the second period, only for man of the match Palmer to equalise with a header.

Sevilla survived a late City onslaught but could not avoid a sixth straight Super Cup defeat as the match passed midnight in Greece and went to penalties at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium.

Pep Guardiola is determined to cap Manchester City’s “extraordinary” Champions League triumph by winning a first ever UEFA Super Cup.

Last season’s treble-clinching victory against Inter Milan secured Wednesday’s clash against Europa League victors Sevilla at Olympiacos’ Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium in Greece.

Guardiola can become the first manager to win the competition with three different clubs but this is a first taste of Super Cup action for City.

“To be here in this press conference ahead of tomorrow you have to do two extraordinary things: win the Champions League or Europa League,” he said in Piraeus.

“I have to say this is not easy. Maybe for Sevilla it’s easier because they have won a lot of Europa Leagues. I remember once when they beat Barcelona 3-0 in the Super Cup.

“They have a special character. The resilience in the bad moments, to play the finals. It’s not always necessary to play top level always but they have something in their DNA that makes this team and this club different.

“They are mentally so strong but you cannot imagine how incredibly happy we are to be here, to play this game because you have to win the Champions League.

“This is an opportunity we want to take because who knows when we will be back here to play this tournament.”

Sevilla won on their Super Cup debut in 2006 but the perennial Europa League winners are now looking to avoid a sixth straight defeat on this stage.

There are a number of familiar faces in Jose Luis Mendilibar’s squad, including former City players Fernando and Jesus Navas.

“Knowing what I know now, maybe I would have extended the contract when we were together after the first season,” Guardiola said of Sevilla captain Navas.

“We took a decision because we were an old team in that period. We needed to refresh mentally the team. That’s why we make in that year a lot of changes.

“But it’s incredible for him to be at 37, 38 playing and I know how committed he is to his club, captain of Sevilla. I am really pleased to see him tomorrow and say hi to him.”

City are looking to lift their first silverware of the season having lost the Community Shield on penalties to Arsenal.

Stefan Ortega started that match and the back-up goalkeeper is expected to get the nod in Piraeus amid interest from German giants Bayern Munich.

“It would be a problem to lose him first of all because of the quality,” Guardiola said of Ortega, who joined from Arminia Bielefeld last summer.

“We bring him here because (head of goalkeeping) Xabi Mancisidor sent me the clips and said ‘this is a keeper that maybe we need’.

“I didn’t know him. He was playing for a side relegated from the Bundesliga and I saw him and said ‘ah, looks good’. But since day one I said ‘what a keeper we have’.

“You know how many important games he played and how he saved us. We don’t want to sell him, we don’t want to loan him. We need him.

“But like many cases it depends on three parts because after that if we lose Stefan two weeks out (from the end of) the market, we have to go pick up a keeper and it’s not easy now.

“You have to pay transfer (fee) and it’s not easy. We want him. I am sorry but we want him.”

Pep Guardiola says Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne faces up to four months out and could require surgery on a hamstring injury.

The 32-year-old was forced off in the first half of June’s Champions League final triumph against Inter Milan and did not play a single minute of pre-season.

De Bruyne returned from that hamstring issue as a second-half substitute in the Community Shield shoot-out loss to Arsenal and captained the side against Burnley in Friday’s Premier League opener.

But the Belgium playmaker only lasted 23 minutes at Turf Moor, where seemingly out of nothing he signalled to the bench that he had felt something.

Guardiola said after the game at Burnley that the issue related to the same hamstring and would see him miss a few weeks, but it appears worse than first feared.

“It’s serious, the injury,” the City boss said. “We have to decide if it’s surgery or not surgery, but it will be a few months out.”

Guardiola said that decision will be taken in the “next days” and De Bruyne faces “three or four months out” if he goes under the knife.

“Ramon (Cugat) saw the images,” Guardiola said of his go-to doctor in Barcelona.

“He didn’t personally (do anything) and they have two or three doctors have the same opinion, more or less, what they have to do.”

Guardiola was speaking on the eve of City’s first ever UEFA Super Cup appearance, with De Bruyne’s injury leaving him clearly downbeat in Greece.

“I have to say the injury for Kevin is a sore blow for us, so he’s a big loss,” Guardiola said at the press conference previewing the clash with Sevilla.

“Kevin has specific qualities that you can lose for one game, two games, but for a long time is really, really tough for us.

“But at the same time you have to look forward and of course you have alternatives there with different skills because the skills for Kevin are irreplaceable.

“But you have different talent players so it’s an opportunity. Life gives you that.

“When there’s an injury, there’s an opportunity for the other ones and I’m pretty sure they will take it.”

Asked if the injury was down to bad luck or De Bruyne returning too soon, Guardiola shot back: “Give me 25 days of preparation and he will not be injured.

“Before I take the decision I spoke to the doctors, the physios with him and he told me ‘I feel good, I feel good’.

“So, I said ‘ok, it’ s better start then half-time (take him off) but unfortunately it happened.”

Phil Foden looks primed to step up in that role but the severity of De Bruyne’s injury could see City look at a signing before the window closes.

“We will see,” he said. “After what happened, we haven’t talked with Txiki (Begiristain, City sporting director).

“We will see the chances and possibilities. We will see.”

De Bruyne looks set to miss City’s entire Champions League group stage and potentially December’s Club World Cup on top of domestic matters.

The severity of the Belgium playmaker’s injury is a big setback and came as a surprise to team-mate Rodri.

“Well, I didn’t know it was that much, honestly,” he said. “What can I say? I mean, he is one of the most important players of the club.

“For sure we are going to miss him a lot. We are going to try to support him in this bad moment. No one wants injuries.

“I saw him the other day and he was positive, he wants to come back (quickly).

“He’s an experienced player, he knows he doesn’t have to run fast to come back. He has to recover – that’s the most important part.

“We are going to miss him but at the same time I can tell you we have a very complete squad to play these two months without him.

“And hopefully we can have him back because he has been so important these years.”

Pep Guardiola has confirmed Kevin De Bruyne faces a “few months out” with a hamstring injury, with Manchester City now having to decide whether he will undergo surgery.

The 32-year-old midfielder was forced off in the first half of June’s Champions League final triumph against Inter Milan and did not play a single minute of pre-season.

De Bruyne returned as a second-half substitute in the Community Shield shoot-out loss to Arsenal and captained the side against Burnley in Friday’s Premier League opener.

But the Belgium playmaker only lasted 23 minutes at Turf Moor, where seemingly out of nothing he signalled to the bench that he had felt something.

Guardiola said the issue related to the same hamstring and would see him miss “a few months”, but it is worse than first feared and a decision has to be made over surgery.

“It’s a seriously injury,” the City boss said. “We have to decide surgery or not surgery but a few months out.”

The decision on surgery will be taken in the coming days and could see him miss “three or four months”, Guardiola said.

Midfielder Kevin De Bruyne was the most notable absentee from the travelling party for Manchester City’s UEFA Super Cup clash with Seville after being struck down by a hamstring injury.

De Bruyne limped out of Friday night’s 3-0 Premier League win at promoted Burnley with a recurrence of the problem which prompted his early withdrawal from last season’s Champions League final, and City boss Pep Guardiola later revealed the 32-year-old Belgium international would be sidelined for “a few weeks”.

The club is yet to provide an update on the severity of the damage, but the midfielder’s name was conspicuous by its absence from the 22-man squad list for Wednesday night’s game in Athens when it was published on City’s official website on Monday afternoon.

De Bruyne has been one of City’s key performers since his £55million arrival from Wolfsburg in August 2015, and is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished midfielders in world football.

There was no place either for midfielder Bernardo Silva, the only other member of the matchday squad at Burnley who was not included, or central defender Ruben Dias, who was not involved in the opening league fixture under concussion protocols.

Kalvin Phillips and Jack Grealish, who were unused substitutes at Turf Moor, did make it, as did the versatile John Stones, who sat out on Friday evening through injury.

Squad (in number order): Kyle Walker, Kalvin Phillips, John Stones, Nathan Ake, Mateo Kovacic, Erling Haaland, Jack Grealish, Aymeric Laporte, Rodrigo, Stefan Ortega Moreno, Julian Alvarez, Sergio Gomez, Josko Gvardiol, Manuel Akanji, Ederson, Maximo Perrone, Scott Carson, Phil Foden, Oscar Bobb, Cole Palmer, Rico Lewis, James McAtee.

Newcastle new boy Sandro Tonali announced himself in the Premier League with a stunning debut in Saturday’s 5-1 demolition of Aston Villa.

However, the £52million former AC Milan midfielder is not the first Italian to make an early impact, for better or for worse, in England’s top flight.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at how he and some of his predecessors fared in their first appearances.

Sandro Tonali

Newcastle invested heavily in 23-year-old Italy international Tonali this summer and he wasted little time in starting to pay off his fee. He scored six minutes into his competitive debut at St James’ Park and went on to produce a fine individual display to inspire the Magpies to a victory which suggested they picked up where they left off at the end of the previous campaign.

Fabrizio Ravanelli

Former Juventus frontman Ravanelli made perhaps the most eye-catching debut of all the Premier League’s Italian stars after swapping Turin for Middlesbrough in a £7million move. The man known as “The White Feather” plundered a hat-trick in a thrilling 3-3 draw with Liverpool at the Riverside Stadium on the opening day of the 1996-97 season, in the process unveiling his trademark shirt-over-head celebration to a new audience.

Attilio Lombardo

Promoted Crystal Palace raised eyebrows with the £1.6million swoop for Lombardo, who had played a key role in Juventus’ Serie A title win the previous season, during the summer of 1997. Dubbed “The Bald Eagle” by Palace supporters, he made his Premier League bow on August 9 in a 2-1 victory at Everton in which he scored the opening goal and swiftly endeared himself to the Eagles faithful with an inspirational display.

Massimo Taibi

Goalkeeper Taibi’s arrival at Manchester United came amid an injury crisis following the departure of treble-winning Peter Schmeichel with Mark Bosnich and Raimond Van Der Gouw both unavailable. The £4.5m signing from Venezia endured mixed fortunes on his debut at Liverpool in September 1999, his error allowing Sami Hyypia to drag the home side back into the game before he made late saves to deny Vladimir Smicer and Robbie Fowler and secure a 3-2 victory in which Jamie Carragher scored two own goals.

Bernardo Corradi

Former Inter Milan, Lazio and Valencia striker Corradi arrived at Manchester City during the summer of 2006, but his career in England got off to a bad start and went downhill from there. He made his debut in a 3-0 defeat at Chelsea in which he was sent off for two bookable offences – and took 13 games to score the first of just three goals for the club before eventually being released with a year of his contract remaining.

Justin Kluivert believes the "winning mentality" of Bayern Munich and Manchester City is what makes those clubs so hard to overcome in title races.

Last season saw City claim a historic treble, winning both the Champions League and FA Cup while lifting their fifth Premier League title in six campaigns, though they were run very close by Mikel Arteta's Arsenal who led for much of the way.

Bayern, meanwhile, secured their 11th straight Bundesliga crown thanks to Borussia Dortmund's collapse on the final weekend of the season in which they failed to beat mid-table Mainz at home, meaning Jamal Musiala's 89th-minute winner in a 2-1 win over Koln handed the title to Thomas Tuchel's men.

Kluivert, who was part of the RB Leipzig team that finished second to Bayern while on loan in the 2020-21 campaign, feels it was the lack of winning mindset from Arsenal and Dortmund compared to City and Bayern that meant they missed out on lifting their respective league titles.

"I think that's something you saw with Manchester City or also with Bayern Munich and Dortmund," Kluivert told Stats Perform.

"It's the winning mentality that maybe not even the players, but the club has. They know how to go with that feeling.

"You know, like City were champions. We thought maybe Arsenal or somebody else will be champions, but they [City] have the feeling they know how to win stuff.

"And I think Bayern Munich also has that. Dortmund had it in their hands and they just gave it away, to be honest. But that's the beauty of football. You don't know until the last game."

Having already faced Bayern in a league fixture, Kluivert will get the chance to play against City this season after joining Bournemouth from Roma for an undisclosed fee in June, looking to emulate his father, legendary striker Patrick Kluivert, who played in the Premier League for Newcastle United between 2004 and 2005. 

Justin feels his time at Leipzig playing under Julian Nagelsmann will stand him in good stead to make an impact at the Cherries, saying: "It was a strange season because it was the season with the coronavirus with no fans, so there was something we had to adapt [to].

"But I've learned a lot, played with great players such as [Christopher] Nkunku who's now going to Chelsea and I can name a bunch more. 

"And a great coach in [Julian] Nagelsmann. I think the philosophy the coach here [Andoni Iraola] has is a bit like him with the press, high press, play. So that's why I'm happy to be here and I've learned a lot."

Rico Lewis says winning the treble once “isn’t good enough” as Manchester City look to repeat the feat and eye an unprecedented quadruple.

Pep Guardiola’s perennial Premier League champions added the FA Cup in June before beating Inter Milan to win the club’s first ever Champions League crown.

City joined Manchester United’s 1999 side as the only English teams in history to complete the treble, but there appears little chance of them stopping there.

Erling Haaland’s brace saw them open up their league campaign with a 3-0 win at promoted Burnley on Friday, after which teenage star Lewis outlined his ambitions.

“The objective is to win the treble again, to win the quadruple,” the homegrown 18-year-old talent said.

“You know, winning it once isn’t good enough, so we have to keep on going and try and win it again.”

You would not back against City winning the European crown on top of claiming the three main domestic trophies given their quality, cohesion and strength.

However, Guardiola’s men have already missed out on one piece of silverware this season having lost the Community Shield to Arsenal on penalties.

This week, though, offers another chance at a trophy as City seek to win the UEFA Super Cup for the first time against Sevilla in Athens.

“Obviously it’s a new competition for us,” Lewis said. “We’ve never won it, the club’s never won it, so, again, it’s another trophy that we want to go and win.

“It’s another competition and an important thing we need to go and take on.”

City make the trip buoyed by a solid start to the Premier League season, with Rodri adding to Haaland’s double on a night that also saw Lewis struck by an object.

Burnley quickly confirmed the individual responsible for the first-half incident had been identified, removed from the ground by police and now faces a banning order.

“Obviously when you’re in the game you can’t really focus on that,” Lewis said. “But it was just something I had to deal with at the time.

“It’s just an incident that’s unfortunate it’s happened to me but, you know, it happens to a lot of players, which is not a good thing.

“But there’s nothing really much you can do about it. You’ve just got to ignore it and then it’ll get sorted at the end of the game.”

Another issue City’s players could not let distract them was the injury to skipper Kevin De Bruyne.

The 32-year-old has only recently returned from a hamstring issue and Guardiola says he faces weeks on the sidelines after suffering a recurrence of the issue.

“Well, you know, injuries happen to everyone,” Lewis said. “Every team suffers with injuries and it’s something that you’ve just got to deal with.

“There’s enough quality in the squad where if someone gets injured someone can slot in and just carry on playing in the same way that the last person did.

“Obviously there’s going to be certain positions where we’ll be more hurt than others just because of squad depth, but it’s something that happens to everyone and everyone has to deal with it.”

While City return to action on Wednesday, the Clarets have an extended wait until they play again.

Next weekend’s trip to Luton was postponed due to ongoing stadium works at Kenilworth Road, meaning Vincent Kompany’s side are next in action at home to Aston Villa on August 27.

That fortnight will give promoted Burnley an invaluable opportunity to work with their new-look squad after showing signs of promise against City.

Summer signing Luca Koleosho, 18, said after making his debut: “I think we had our moments in the game but obviously we were playing against the best team in the world right now.

“So, I just think that every game we’re going to get better and just improve.

“The mentality is just to win, there’s 37 games (to go), it’s a long season but just take it one at a time and just go out there and try and win.”

Pep Guardiola confirmed Kevin De Bruyne will be out for “a few weeks” after being forced out of Manchester City’s opening-day win at Burnley.

City launched their defence of the Premier League title by cruising to a 3-0 win at newly-promoted Burnley as Erling Haaland struck twice in the first half before Rodri slammed home a third midway through the second.

Victory over former City captain Vincent Kompany’s Burnley was tainted by De Bruyne’s 23rd-minute withdrawal, with Guardiola revealing his talisman had injured the same hamstring that had kept him out at the end of last season.

Guardiola said: “Hamstring again. Same position. It depends on the magnitude of the injury, but will be a few weeks out.”

De Bruyne returned from a similar problem in time to start in the Champions League final in June but lasted only 36 minutes.

Asked if the Belgium midfielder had returned too soon to start against Burnley, Guardiola said: “Maybe. Maybe it was my mistake, but when he is injured after 15-20 minutes it is not something wrong, when it is 65 it is the fatigue of the muscle.

“We have to talk with the doctors and him. He was one year a long time injured, he came back from that position.

“He is down. He fought a lot. The final of the Champions League. He felt really good. I prefer to start and make 50-55 minutes. He is disappointed, but he is strong and will be back.”

Guardiola appeared to be involved in a furious bust-up with Haaland as the players left the pitch at half-time and the Spaniard explained why both were so animated.

He added: “We discuss a lot. Erling wanted the ball immediately and Bernardo (Silva) don’t give it, it was one minute left and 0-2.

“A minute earlier (the ball went) to Mateo Kovacic and we lost it. We have to finish at 0-2 and go to the second. I understand Erling, he wanted the ball, but Bernardo took the right decision.”

Kompany, who won four Premier League titles at City, steered Burnley to the Sky Bet Championship title in his first season in charge and handed five summer signings their debuts.

The Belgian said his new-look side will only get better and there were positives to take from their performance.

He said: “It is progress again. This team has to be the worst it is ever going to be this season, at this moment in time.

“You want to get a result, that is a given, but there are other things which create a foundation for the season – tackling, pressing, running at defenders one-on-one.”

Second-half substitute Anass Zaroury was sent off in the closing stages after his yellow card for a challenge on Kyle Walker was changed to a red after referee Craig Pawson watched a replay on the pitch-side moniter.

Kompany added: “The crowd has always been behind us. I wish we could’ve turned the momentum again in the last 20 minutes and created some more danger, but with the red card the game kind of settled.

“We had enough today to get something. I am not saying a result, but to get on the score sheet.”

Pep Guardiola confirmed Kevin De Bruyne will be out for “a few weeks” after being forced out of Manchester City’s opening-day win at Burnley.

City launched their defence of the Premier League title by cruising to a 3-0 win at newly-promoted Burnley as Erling Haaland struck twice in the first half before Rodri slammed home a third midway through the second.

Victory over former City captain Vincent Kompany’s Burnley was tainted by De Bruyne’s 23rd-minute withdrawal, with Guardiola revealing his talisman had injured the same hamstring that had kept him out at the end of last season.

Guardiola said: “Hamstring again. Same position. It depends on the magnitude of the injury, but will be a few weeks out.”

De Bruyne returned from a similar problem in time to start in the Champions League final in June but lasted only 36 minutes.

Asked if the Belgium midfielder had returned too soon to start against Burnley, Guardiola said: “Maybe. Maybe it was my mistake, but when he is injured after 15-20 minutes it is not something wrong, when it is 65 it is the fatigue of the muscle.

“We have to talk with the doctors and him. He was one year a long time injured, he came back from that position.

“He is down. He fought a lot. The final of the Champions League. He felt really good. I prefer to start and make 50-55 minutes. He is disappointed, but he is strong and will be back.”

Guardiola appeared to be involved in a furious bust-up with Haaland as the players left the pitch at half-time and the Spaniard explained why both were so animated.

He added: “We discuss a lot. Erling wanted the ball immediately and Bernardo (Silva) don’t give it, it was one minute left and 0-2.

“A minute earlier (the ball went) to Mateo Kovacic and we lost it. We have to finish at 0-2 and go to the second. I understand Erling, he wanted the ball, but Bernardo took the right decision.”

Kompany, who won four Premier League titles at City, steered Burnley to the Sky Bet Championship title in his first season in charge and handed five summer signings their debuts.

The Belgian said his new-look side will only get better and there were positives to take from their performance.

He said: “It is progress again. This team has to be the worst it is ever going to be this season, at this moment in time.

“You want to get a result, that is a given, but there are other things which create a foundation for the season – tackling, pressing, running at defenders one-on-one.”

Second-half substitute Anass Zaroury was sent off in the closing stages after his yellow card for a challenge on Kyle Walker was changed to a red after referee Craig Pawson watched a replay on the pitch-side moniter.

Kompany added: “The crowd has always been behind us. I wish we could’ve turned the momentum again in the last 20 minutes and created some more danger, but with the red card the game kind of settled.

“We had enough today to get something. I am not saying a result, but to get on the score sheet.”

Erling Haaland’s brilliant brace helped Manchester City kick off their quest for an unprecedented fourth straight top-flight title with victory at promoted Burnley.

Just two months on from winning the Champions League to become the second treble winners in English football history, Pep Guardiola’s men returned to competitive action with a bang at Turf Moor.

Star man Haaland’s excellent first-half double and a close-range Rodri effort did the damage as City ran out 3-0 winners in the Premier League curtain raiser at Vincent Kompany’s Burnley.

The 23-year-old frontman swept the visitors ahead 184 seconds into the new campaign and, with his side having lost skipper Kevin De Bruyne to injury, struck a stunning second off the underside of the bar.

That display was not enough to avoid being chided by Guardiola as the teams made their way off at half-time, with the City boss pushing away a TV camera as he berated the striker.

Rodri completed the scoring and Burnley substitute Anass Zaroury received a contentious late red card, with Community Shield runners-up City now turning their attention to Wednesday’s Super Cup clash against Sevilla.

Both sets of players took the knee before kick-off and initial boos were drowned out by cheers at Turf Moor, where the hosts were behind after just three minutes and four seconds.

De Bruyne took a short corner and, following a couple of passes, lifted a cross to the far post, where Rodri headed back across goal for Haaland to direct home impressively.

It was a gut punch that De Bruyne tried to add to from distance, but the champions of the Championship stuck to Kompany’s principles.

Burnley penalty appeals fell on deaf ears when Zeki Amdouni went down under pressure from Manuel Akanji before Luca Koleosho missed the target after fine, composed build-up.

Amdouni wriggled free to get a shot on Ederson’s goal as Burnley continued to threaten City, whose youngster Rico Lewis was hit by an object thrown from the stands.

The Lancashire club later confirmed the individual responsible had been identified and removed from the ground by police and now faces a banning order.

Lewis was all right to continue, but De Bruyne soon had to leave the field.

The skipper recently returned from a hamstring injury and, seemingly out of nothing, signalled to the bench that he had felt something, leading to Mateo Kovacic’s introduction.

Burnley quickly attempted to capitalise. Amdouni was stopped by Rodri before the midfielder saw a pass cut out and Lyle Foster bent narrowly wide.

But the hosts’ hopes of a comeback were short-lived as Haaland scored an incredible second in the 36th minute.

Kyle Walker raced down the right and cut back to Julian Alvarez, who laid off for the Norwegian sharpshooter to sweep a first-time strike in off the underside of the bar.

Haaland may have been on course for a hat-trick, but something had upset Guardiola, who pulled him back and scolded him before pushing the away a camera.

The striker remained on as the visitors began the second half on top, with James Trafford – signed from City in the summer – tipping over a Rodri effort from distance and then saving a header from the Champions League final matchwinner.

Alvarez fired off target after a show of strength by Haaland before City struck a third in the 75th minute as the match appeared to be petering out.

Burnley failed to effectively clear a crossed free-kick and Rodri lashed home from five yards after Nathan Ake was blocked out.

Alvarez saw a shot blocked before Josko Gvardiol came on for his City debut, with Haaland booed by the Burnley faithful when withdrawn as part of a triple City change.

Guardiola made a point of getting up to give Haaland a warm greeting after their earlier exchange.

Stewards reacted quickly as a fan attempted to get on the pitch towards the end of a night that had seen Burnley impress against mightily tough opposition.

Things got worse for the promoted Clarets.

Substitute Zaroury was sent off in stoppage time after his tackle on Walker was judged serious foul play after referee Craig Pawson watched the incident back on the VAR’s instruction.

The new Premier League season kicks off this weekend with clubs still finalising their squads for the challenge ahead.

Champions Manchester City and last season’s runners-up Arsenal will resume battle with the Gunners’ having struck an early blow in the Community Shield, while newcomers Burnley, Sheffield United and Luton begin the task of ensuring their stay among the big boys is not fleeting.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the talking points surrounding the opening fixtures.

Harry Kane’s “will he, won’t he?” summer saga finally approached its conclusion on the eve of the new campaign as he headed for Germany with a view to tying up a £95million switch from Tottenham to Bayern Munich. The England skipper’s impending departure is likely to dismay fans of a club which drastically under-achieved in finishing eighth last season. Spurs open their campaign at Brentford on Sunday with the travelling supporters contemplating what life after Harry may represent.

If last season’s top three had a familiar look about it with Manchester United following their neighbours and Arsenal across the finishing line, there was a measure of turbulence below them as Newcastle disturbed the established order to push Liverpool out of the top four and Brighton claimed sixth spot with Aston Villa hot on their heels. Despite losing Jordan Henderson and Roberto Firmino to the Saudi Arabian exodus, the Reds have added World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai to their ranks with Moises Caicedo also seemingly on his way to Anfield, while James Maddison is perhaps the most eye-catching of Tottenham’s summer arrivals and Chelsea’s spending spree shows no signs of abating as the wounded prepare to fight back.

If Gary O’Neil felt hard done by when he was relieved of his duties at Bournemouth in June having steered the club to Premier League safety, it did not blunt his readiness to take on a challenge. The former Portsmouth and Middlesbrough midfielder was parachuted into the hotseat vacated by dissatisfied Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui after the Spaniard and the club decided to go their separate ways as a result of disagreements over recruitment. O’Neil stepped into the void with just days to prepare for Wolves’ opening fixture – a daunting trip to a rejuvenated Manchester United on Monday evening.

Burnley, Sheffield United and Luton will set foot in the top flight knowing the first and overwhelming priority is survival. Last season was the first since 2017-18 when the three promoted clubs all stayed up, with at least one having made an immediate return to the top flight at the end of each of the previous four. The Hatters last played in England’s top division in 1992, but having worked their way back from the non-league ranks in the last decade, they know all about fighting tooth and nail.

Unpopular as it may be with some, referees’ chief Howard Webb has insisted moves to eradicate time-wasting are here to stay, and that means there could be some lengthy matches this season. Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola and Manchester United defender Raphael Varane are among those to have questioned moves to tackle the game’s “dark arts”, as well as behaviour on and off the pitch, but their concerns have fallen on deaf ears. How will they feel after the weekend?

What the papers say

Manchester City have identified Rennes forward Jeremy Doku as a replacement for Riyad Mahrez, who left the club to Saudi Pro League team Al-Ahli, the Telegraph reports.

Harry Maguire’s personal terms are now the only issue standing in the way of a move a West Ham after the Hammers agreed to a deal worth £30million with Manchester United for the former captain, the Daily Mail says. Maguire now faces a decision over whether he wants to move to the club and agree to their terms.

The Times reports David De Gea could be set for a move home with Real Madrid interested in a move for the Spanish goalkeeper, who is now a free agent after 12 years with Manchester United. Madrid’s first choice goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois will be out for a long period after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Moises Caicedo: Chelsea have looked the favourites all summer to sign the 21-year-old Brighton midfielder, but Liverpool have struck at the 11th hour and are now favourites to sign the Ecuador international. TalkSport says Liverpool are willing to smash their record player fee to sign Caicedo, adding fuel to their match against Chelsea this Sunday.

Romelu Lukaku: Tottenham have emerged as surprise contenders to sign the 30-year-old striker in the wake of Harry Kane’s likely departure to Bayern Munich, Gazzetta dello Sport reports.