Albion 0, Manchester City 2

Albion's first match in the Premier League was against the side who, in all probability, will finish the season in first place.

That is the context for a plucky defeat which obeyed the script with one exception.

It took Pep Guardiola's title favourites 70 minutes to find a way through, thanks to the pragmatism and organisational skills of Chris Hughton which will serve the Seagulls well in the challenges ahead.

Playing with two strikers, as Albion did in the Championship, or adopting a front-foot approach would have been suicide against a team of City's quality.

They would have been picked off and beaten heavily. The players followed the orders, kept their discipline and shape, and emerged with credit confronting landslide odds.

Either side of the two goals in five minutes which provided a realistic reflection of City's superiority, Guardiola introduced Leroy Sane, Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva from a bench costing more to assemble than the Amex and the lavishly equipped training complex in Lancing.

Hughton said: "Somebody did tell me that and when you put it that way it sounds incredibly strange, but if I was in his (Guardiola's) shoes I'd be doing exactly the same.

"Apart from good quality players, they've bought really good legs. If I look at the three full-backs (Kyle Walker, Danilo and Benjamin Mendy) they are all strong, quick, athletic. The way they play that's obviously what they wanted."

There will be an element of relief for Hughton that Albion were not slayed. "You can never say it's a concern, because you never go into the game thinking that," he said.

"But I've been on the end of good results against the top teams at home and also some really tough ones. It can happen. If they get their first goal earlier in the game, then the second one, then it can be.

"Fortunately for us we didn't allow that to happen and for the majority of the game we were right in it."

They were because Hughton's players stuck to the instructions and because they defended heroically. No other team matched Albion's 42 clearances on the opening weekend.

The only justifiable criticism was a looseness with the 22 per cent of the possession they had - it felt like considerably less.

Hughton said: "You work before the game and have a plan, sometimes they get it right and sometimes they don't. You can't be expansive against the quality they've got.

"Probably the one negative was when we had periods we could have kept the ball a bit better, but they pressed very well.

The Argus: "They have in the side, apart from great quality, a lot of energy as well. He (Guardiola, above) has got them pressing very well and it's hard to get around that press. Overall I was certainly pleased with the game plan."

While Walker was more like a right-winger than right-wingback for City and Guardiola could afford to sacrifice Danilo for Sane in search of the breakthrough, Solly March was forced to operate more like a right-back.

March drew appreciative applause for beating two City players deep inside his own territory on one occasion in the first half. He looked comfortable at the level, as did the defensive unit.

They will be Albion's strength. The weakness, certainly at the moment until the attacking transfer business is completed, is pace through the middle.

Although the Premier League is packed with attacking quality, the Seagulls will not face a more severe examination in their remaining 37 tests than a quartet of David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne behind Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus.

The Argus: Silva, now shaven-headed, is City's gold, a sublime creator. His slide-rule pass after Dale Stephens was dispossessed on halfway by De Bruyne was tucked away by Aguero (above), his 16th goal in his last 18 games.

Silva now has 58 Premier League assists since 2011-12, at least 15 more than any other player, a symbol of his enduring influence.

Aguero was not going to miss a second time after wasting a gift when Shane Duffy duffed a backpass, the only blemish of a strong performance by the Irishman.

The hand of Jesus, via his chest, was well spotted by referee Michael Oliver in the first half as he latched onto an exquisite ball from De Bruyne.

It was disallowed and the Brazilian was booked as he received treatment. Mathew Ryan increased the frustration with a wonderful save from a point-blank header which Jesus should have dispatched.

The persistent threat from Jesus induced the own goal from Lewis Dunk, which sealed Albion's fate. Dunk (below right), like partner Duffy otherwise a tower of strength, was the wrong side of Jesus as he directed a header from Fernandinho's cross through the arms of a surprised Ryan.

The Argus: Albion's central defenders offered their best hope of scoring from set plays, the one area where City looked unconvincing.

At 0-0 Duffy had a shot from a corner deflected just wide. From the corner that followed, dropped by the unemployed Ederson, Dunk had successive efforts blocked before Davy Propper's drive whistled wide.

The Argus: While the Dutchman's debut alongside Stephens was a real mixed bag, Hughton's stifling plot was not helped by losing the energy and athleticism of another of the new signings, Chelsea loanee Izzy Brown (above), to a hamstring injury midway through the first half.

Brown's replacement, Jamie Murphy, had an 'if only' moment just before the break. Albion might have led if the Scot had been able to take a crossfield pass from Stephens in his stride when fleetingly goal side of Walker.

The Premier League's other Albion are up next at the Amex next month. The transfer window will be shut by then and they will also have visited Leicester and Bournemouth. This period will be a more realistic guide to the survival aspirations than City.

Facing them first might be a blessing in disguise. Once the rust is removed and City are in full stride, future opponents may wish for more grounds like Guardiola's spiritual home, Barcelona's Nou Camp, which has a chapel beside the walkway to the pitch.