5 observations from Matchday 4 of the 2018/2019 UCL group stage

#3 Manchester City are the standard bearers

Manchester City were 6-0 winners

Ever since Sheikh Mansour and Khaldoon Al Mubarak took over Manchester City in September 2008, there has been one goal, domestic and continental dominance, and billions of pounds in player and manager recruitment have been carried out in a bid to fulfil that quest.

While the former has been largely achieved, it is the latter that has proved a bit more problematic. Step in Guardiola; the Spanish coach has carved a niche for himself as having one of the most brilliant minds in the history of football, and he was earmarked as the one to lead City to the Holy Grail of Champions League victory.

After two seasons, that is yet to happen, as the Catalan has failed to even match City's best record of getting to the semi-final which was achieved in 2016.

Pep is undoubtedly on a mission to prove naysayers wrong, as there many who believe that his successes on the continent with Barcelona were only possible because of Messi and Spain's golden generation, and his struggles since leaving Camp Nou serve as justification for their claims.

So far this season, things have been going to plan. City opened their campaign in the worst way possible, falling to Lyon in a shock 2-1 defeat, and struggled to see off Hoffenheim on matchday 2, needing an injury-time David Silva goal to prevail in Germany.

They hit top gear in Ukraine against Shakhtar, triumphing in a 3-0 victory in what Pep described as the best performance of his tenure as City boss.

In the return leg, City once again ran riot at the Etihad, putting six past their visitors which came just four days after they also scored six against Southampton in the Premier League.

City are a lot of people's favorites to emerge victorious in this season's competition, and with what we have seen so far, that is a very highly likely proposition.