Manchester City 2, Albion 0

Seven games into the season, the Premier League table could have looked worse for Albion, a lot worse.

They have now been to Manchester City and Liverpool, the two teams widely anticipated to battle for the title.

They have also played Spurs and Manchester United at the Amex, which will again be fundamental to their survival hopes.

The ten-month wait for a third away victory continues but a respectable defeat at the home of the champions is not the appropriate moment for an inquest into the travel sickness.

There will be far more realistic opportunities to improve on the 17-match winless sequence and dozen blank sheets over that period.

In spite of this record, nobody regards Chris Hughton's side as pushovers. They have everbody's respect.

Including Pep Guardiola. The teamsheet told you that. City go to Hoffenheim on Tuesday night in their second group game in the Champions League.

The fixture has heightened significance following the surprise defeat at the Etihad by Lyon in their opening match.

Even so, Guardiola fielded virtually a full-strength team. He expected Albion to be hard to break down and they were for a third of the contest until a lightning counter-attack paved the way for a routine three points.

The most encouraging aspect for Hughton was a first half performance much-improved compared to at Watford, Liverpool and Southampton.

Albion defended well and went forward with more purpose on the rare The Argus: occasions they could, especially early on, without testing Ederson.

Hughton (above) said: "I thought we started the game really well, which was good. People don't realise how difficult it is with what they've got.

"Two Silvas (David and Bernardo) can receive the ball in any space and with the pace of the two wide ones they gave our wide players a really difficult afternoon.

"So I was really pleased with how we started, really positive.

"Over the course of the game it was not so different to what I thought. They were going to have a lot of possession and it was how we could defend against it and how we could break from it."

Two Silvas and lots of gold. City are, if anything, at their most dangerous not when you are organised in numbers inside your own half but when they get the chance to break on you at blistering speed.

That was the route of Albion's downfall. A short pass by Anthony Knockaert inside City territory, meant for Martin Montoya, took a slight touch off Leroy Sane.

Whoosh, City were suddenly streaking towards Matthew Ryan's goal with room to pounce with ruthless efficiency.

Leroy Sane's low cross was tucked away at the far post by Raheem Sterling and with that any hope of Albion escaping with an outrageous result effectively evaporated.

The scoreline suggested differently until midway through the second half and yet City's grip and control by that stage was such that Albion, even with Jurgen Locadia a willing outlet on his first league start of the season, never remotely threatened an equaliser.

Resting Glenn Murray to play Locadia made sense. It was not the top scorer's type of assignment, not like Friday night's home game against West Ham.

Albion had dealt admirably with Sergio Aguero. You are inclined to use the past tense in reference to so many City players because you know in an instant their quality can transform the complexion of their The Argus: contributions.

Hence (above left) Aguero started from halfway and finished the move which doubled the deficit.

He surged through the middle, evading Davy Propper and Lewis Dunk, fed Sterling and continued his run to sweep in the cross.

Hughton, understandably from Albion's perspective, felt more could have been done to prevent the goal at source, but it was impossible to not be impressed by the manner of the stocky little Argentinian's seventh of the season and 15th in his last 11 home appearances.

Only then did Guardiola look to Germany, withdrawing Aguero immediately. It is easier when you can bring on Jesus - and Riyad Mahrez.

It is also easy to overlook, with all City's attacking options, their ferocious work ethic. Not Hughton. "They have got great habits," he said. "They are not just a good footballing side."

Albion could have avoided another away nil if referee Lee Mason has given them the chance late-on.

He should have. Beram Kayal's corner struck Fernandinho's arm as he tried to head clear. It was clearer to give than the sharp but justified spot by Chris Kavanagh of Glenn Murray's raised arm against Spurs.

"Probably that heightens the frustration," said Hughton. "The linesman was in the best position. I saw it from where I was. That's frustrating and the second goal we conceded. At 1-0 you are still in the game, 2-0 makes it very difficult."

That has been the outcome in half of Albion's eight failed attempts to achieve a result away against one of the top six. The good news is they do not have to face any of them again for a while.