'lovely Guy' & 'top Signing' - Reijnders Shines For Man City

Remember Kevin de Bruyne?

The Belgian departed Manchester City successful nan summertime and his contributions will ne'er beryllium forgotten, but nan Blues religious person a caller leader to adore successful nan style of Tijjani Reijnders.

The 27-year-old Dutchman displayed an all-action performance, contributing a extremity and an assist, arsenic City showed they mean business by thrashing Wolves astatine Molineux.

Reijnders is only nan 2nd City subordinate to some people and supply a extremity connected his Premier League debut, aft Sergio Aguero, and if he achieves moreover half of what nan Argentine striker did astatine Etihad Stadium, he will go a sure-fire deed for nan club.

"It's a awesome start," Reijnders told BBC Match of nan Day. "Very happy pinch an assistance and a extremity and a very bully win. It is simply a awesome commencement and we person to support going now."

Boss Pep Guardiola said of nan performance: "Really good. Lovely feline and has made an effect from time one. His pace, he tin thief pinch nan holding midfield.

"He tin make runs wrong nan pockets and nan spaces that sometimes we let defenders to create.

"At Milan he was exceptional and pinch nan nationalist team. We knew he is simply a apical signing for nan coming years for City."

A powerful box-to-box midfielder, Reijnders made his elder debut for Dutch broadside PEC Zwolle successful 2017 earlier joining chap Eredivisie nine AZ Alkmaar successful early 2018.

After a indebtedness spell pinch RKC Waalwijk successful 2019-20, he went connected to found himself successful Alkmaar's first team, his tally of 13 goals and 15 assists successful 128 appearances earning him a move to Milan successful 2023.

Reijnders ended past play pinch 10 goals and 4 assists for nan Rossoneri, pinch only 1 subordinate successful his position, Napoli's Scott McTominay (16), registering much extremity involvements.

His good displays were 1 of nan fewer positives successful a frustrating run for Milan, who vanished eighth successful Serie A and missed retired connected European qualification altogether.

Reijnders' 4 assists is possibly an unfair reflection connected his power successful nan last third. He was classed ninth for guardant passes successful Italy's apical formation past term, and was 5th for done balls and carrying nan ball.

He besides classed seventh for carries of much than 10 metres successful Serie A past season, an plus that could beryllium important successful Guardiola's transitional play.

The aforesaid goes for his expertise to bring retired nan champion successful attacking players astir him: past season, he was progressive successful an unrivalled 205 passages of play that ended successful a changeable being attempted.

Reijnders besides classed 2nd of each Serie A players for secondary chances created (49) - successful different words, getting nan correct players into nan champion positions to create a chance for a team-mate.

Reijnders has won 23 Netherlands caps, starting each six games for his state astatine Euro 2024 successful Germany past year.

Boss Guardiola has maintained past season's disappointment was down to nan number of injuries his broadside suffered, peculiarly losing Ballon d'Or victor Rodri to a superior knee wounded for astir of nan campaign.

The Spaniard's absence near a gaping spread and nan centre of nan parkland lacked existent energy, pinch Nico Gonzalez signed for £50m from Porto successful January and Reijnders added from AC Milan for £42.5m successful nan summer.

The Dutchman showed glimpses of his capabilities astatine nan Club World Cup but gave fans successful England a existent sensation of what to expect successful nan Premier League.

Reijnders said: "I saw nan strength and it is beautiful hard, but it is bully to play successful nan Premier League and to people connected my debut is ever nice.

"I'm ever trying to find abstraction successful nan container and activity to springiness assists. My type of crippled is to beryllium a box-to-box subordinate and thief nan squad pinch goals and assists."

Reijnders' footwork and chipped walk for nan opening extremity was sublime, while location was thing Jose Sa could do for his first-half extremity which was clipped crossed extremity and into nan bottommost corner.

There were besides early signs of an knowing building up pinch prima striker Erling Haaland arsenic his disguised walk allowed nan Norwegian to nett his 2nd goal.

As good arsenic his extremity contributions, Reijnders' ascendant capacity is highlighted by nan truth he had 82 touches of nan shot and completed 52 of his 57 passes.

His 17 shot carries – movements of astatine slightest 5 metres successful possession – was nan associated astir among non-midfielders successful nan Premier League connected Saturday, while only Newcastle's Anthony Elanga (7) recorded much progressive carries moving nan shot astatine 10m+ towards nan opposition's extremity than Reijnders' six.

Reijnders besides completed 22 passes successful nan last 3rd - nan 2nd astir successful nan City squad down Nico Gonzalez (24) – giving him a 91% occurrence rate.

With neither Rodri nor Phil Foden disposable arsenic they return to afloat fitness, City's midfield will beryllium a unit to beryllium reckoned pinch erstwhile nan duo make a comeback.

"Tijjani Reijnders is nan prima man for me," erstwhile England full-back Chris Powell said connected BBC Radio 5 Live.

"You will spot a new-look Man City midfield and you still person Phil Foden and Rodri to travel backmost - they person laid a mini marker down.

"For City, it was a disappointing play for them past year, truthful they person sewage a batch to play for this year."

James Trafford was different debutant to guidelines out, keeping a cleanable expanse pursuing his return from Burnley successful nan summer.

The 22-year-old Englishman started successful extremity aft Ederson missed nan crippled because of unwellness and made a full of 3 saves successful an assured performance.

The Brazilian has entered nan last twelvemonth of his statement astatine Etihad Stadium and has been heavy linked pinch a move to Turkish giants Galatasaray.

"I don't person info," Guardiola said of Ederson's future. "Yesterday I saw his illness, gastroenteritis, and aft I didn't speak to nan club.

"If nan subordinate wants to time off he has to leave, but connected nan conditions of nan club.

"There is nary consciousness if he is not happy present but nan last determination and nan measurement to make nan woody belongs 100% to nan club, truthful I don't cognize what will hap successful nan adjacent 2 weeks."