---
title: "Manchester City: Fans look back on three-year anniversary of Pep Guardiola’s first league game"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/manchester-city-fans-look-back-on-three-year-anniversary-of-pep-guardiolas-first-league-game/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Liam Togher"
section: "Manchester City Football Club"
published: "2019-08-14T14:25:15Z"
modified: "2019-08-14T14:25:15Z"
---

# Manchester City: Fans look back on three-year anniversary of Pep Guardiola’s first league game

**Three years have now elapsed since Pep Guardiola first took charge of Manchester City in a Premier League game, a milestone noted by the club’s official Twitter channel.**

> The beginning of the Pep era! [@PepTeam](https://twitter.com/PepTeam?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) kicks off his Premier League journey with a win [#OnThisDay](https://twitter.com/hashtag/OnThisDay?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) in 2016!
>
> [#mancity](https://twitter.com/hashtag/mancity?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) [pic.twitter.com/JK7vdrlaVE](https://t.co/JK7vdrlaVE)
>
> — Manchester City (@ManCity) [August 13, 2019](https://twitter.com/ManCity/status/1161231181570105344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

On August 13th, 2016, the manager began life in the Premier League with a 2-1 win at home to Sunderland.

Sergio Aguero opened the scoring with a penalty inside four minutes but, with Jermain Defoe equalising in the second half, Manchester City needed a late Paddy McNair own goal to claim the three points. [\[via BBC\]](https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/36994521)

Guardiola’s first Premier League line-up featured several players who have since left the Etihad Stadium, such as Willy Caballero, Bacary Sagna, Aleksandar Kolarov, Gael Clichy and Nolito, while Joe Hart, Jesus Navas, Kelechi Iheanacho and Fernando were among the substitutes. [\[via BBC\]](https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/36994521)

Manchester City [finished third in the league](https://www.premierleague.com/tables?co=1&se=54&ha=-1) in the manager’s first season at the club but went on to be crowned champions in both subsequent campaigns, amassing [100](https://www.premierleague.com/tables?co=1&se=79&ha=-1) and [98](https://www.premierleague.com/tables?co=1&se=210&ha=-1) points respectively in those seasons.

These Manchester City fans were in nostalgic mode as they recalled Guardiola’s Premier League bow three years ago today:

> Nolito
>
> — ‏ً (@CtrlAltCancelo) [August 13, 2019](https://twitter.com/CtrlAltCancelo/status/1161231585292611589?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

> pEp wILL fAiL iN eNgLanD
>
> — Jann-Fiete Arp (@ArpJann) [August 13, 2019](https://twitter.com/ArpJann/status/1161246937539960832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

> Is that the last penalty Aguero scored?
>
> — Jon (@TikkaMangala) [August 13, 2019](https://twitter.com/TikkaMangala/status/1161232061929263104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

> He can’t cope the PL eh
>
> — Iddin (@khairyizuddin) [August 13, 2019](https://twitter.com/khairyizuddin/status/1161232544131477504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

https://twitter.com/1mattcunningham/status/1161232431204261890

> Dream team
>
> — Lindsay Phillips (@Lindz6) [August 13, 2019](https://twitter.com/Lindz6/status/1161299825431912448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)