Alexis Sanchez seems to like Wembley. The last time he was here, Arsenal's new £30million man was head and shoulders above anyone on the pitch as Chile comfortably disposed of England in a friendly last November. He was wearing a different shirt at Wembley on Sunday, but it was a similar story.
Sanchez oozes class. It perhaps wasn't the rip-roaring display of his previous Wembley outing, but he showed enough to keep Arsenal supporters salivating for more. Without kicking a competitive ball for the Gunners, he is already a hero with the supporters.
His name being read out over the Wembley PA system sparked the loudest cheer of any player ahead of kick-off. Arsene Wenger plans to start his latest big money signing on the right-hand side as Theo Walcott works his way back to full fitness following a serious knee injury.
And he started in that position on Sunday, pitted against City left-back Aleksander Kolarov. The Chilean eased himself into proceedings at Wembley, his first contribution of real note arriving in the eighth minute: a perfectly weighted pass down the right to set Mathieu Debuchy clear. Truth be told, but for a few touches of excellence, his influence during the opening exchanges wasn't that of his previous Wembley visit.
But he, and Wenger, knows it is next weekend's clash against Aston Villa that counts the most. The way he collected a pass on the half-turn before sliding Yaya Sanogo through on goal in the 12th minute looked utterly effortless.
We caught a glimpse of his appetite for the ugly side of his game, too, as he threw himself at a Fernando shot from the edge of the box in the 14th minute. He was at it again a few minutes later, collecting the ball on the edge of his own box before cooly dribbling his side out of danger before winning a free kick.
We then caught the briefest glimpse of why Wenger feels Sanchez could be the game changer for his side this season. Picking up the ball inside his own half, Sanchez galloped forward before playing an inch-perfect pass into Sanogo, who set up Aaron Ramsey for Arsenal's second.
It wasn't the most exhilarating moment in Wembley history, but that will not have bothered Wenger. The Frenchman knows, in Sanchez, he has another bona-fide match winner. The former Barcelona man should have capped his latest Wembley appearance with a goal, but he took his foot off the gas in straight foot race with Manchester City goalkeeper Willy Caballero after Sanogo's pass in the dying stages of the first half.
Wenger had seen enough from Sanchez, substituting him at half-time. It's safe to say we won't be seeing Sanchez hooked after 45 minutes much this season.
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