‘Lovely guy’ & ‘top signing’ – Reijnders shines for Man City

Remember Kevin de Bruyne?

The Belgian departed Manchester City in the summer and his contributions will never be forgotten, but their fans have a new hero to adore in the shape of Tijjani Reijnders.

The 27-year-old Dutchman delivered an all-action performance, contributing a goal and an assist, as City showed they mean business by thrashing Wolves at Molineux.

Reijnders is only the second City player to both score and provide a goal on his Premier League debut, after Sergio Aguero, and if he achieves even half of what the Argentina striker did, he will be a sure-fire hit for the club.

“It’s a great start,” Reijnders told BBC Match of the Day. “Very happy with an assist and a goal and a very good win. It is a great start and we have to keep going now.”

Boss Pep Guardiola said of the performance: “Really good. Lovely guy and has made an impact from day one. His pace, he can help with the holding midfield.

“He can make runs inside the pockets and the spaces that sometimes we allow defenders to create.

A powerful box-to-box midfielder, Reijnders made his senior debut for Dutch side PEC Zwolle in 2017 before joining fellow Eredivisie club AZ Alkmaar in early 2018.

After a loan spell with RKC Waalwijk in 2019-20, he went on to establish himself in Alkmaar’s first team, his tally of 13 goals and 15 assists in 128 appearances earning him a move to Milan in 2023.

Reijnders ended last season with 10 goals and four assists for the Rossoneri, with only one player in his position, Napoli’s Scott McTominay (16), registering more goal involvements.

His fine displays were one of the few positives in a frustrating campaign for Milan, who finished eighth in Serie A and missed out on European qualification altogether.

Reijnders’ four assists is perhaps an unfair reflection on his influence in the final third. He was ranked ninth for forward passes in Italy’s top flight last term, and was fifth for through balls and carrying the ball.

He also ranked seventh for carries of more than 10 metres in Serie A last season, an asset that could prove crucial in Guardiola’s transitional play.

The same goes for his ability to bring out the best in attacking players around him: last season, he was involved in an unrivalled 205 passages of play that ended in a shot being attempted.

Reijnders also ranked second of all Serie A players for secondary chances created (49) – in other words, getting the right players into the best positions to create a chance for a team-mate.

Boss Guardiola has maintained last season’s disappointment was down to the number of injuries his side suffered, particularly losing Ballon d’Or winner Rodri to a serious knee injury for most of the campaign.

The Spaniard’s absence left a gaping hole and the centre of the park lacked real energy, with Nico Gonzalez signed for £50m from Porto in January and Reijnders added from AC Milan for £42.5m in the summer.

The Dutchman showed glimpses of his capabilities at the Club World Cup but gave fans in England a real taste of what to expect in the Premier League.

Reijnders said: “I saw the intensity and it is pretty hard, but it is nice to play in the Premier League and to score on my debut is always nice.

“I’m always trying to find space in the box and work to give assists. My type of game is to be a box-to-box player and help the team with goals and assists.”

Reijnders’ footwork and chipped pass for the opening goal was sublime, while there was nothing Jose Sa could do for his first-half goal which was clipped across goal and into the bottom corner.

There were also early signs of an understanding building up with star striker Erling Haaland as his disguised pass allowed the Norwegian to net his second goal.

As well as his goal contributions, Reijnders’ dominant performance is highlighted by the fact he had 82 touches of the ball and completed 52 of his 57 passes.

Reijnders also completed 22 passes in the final third – the second most in the City team behind Gonzalez (24).

With neither Rodri nor Phil Foden available as they return to full fitness, City’s midfield will be a force to be reckoned with once the duo make a comeback.

“Tijjani Reijnders is the star man for me,” former England full-back Chris Powell said on BBC Radio 5 Live.

“You will see a new-look Man City midfield and you still have Phil Foden and Rodri to come back – they have laid a small marker down.

James Trafford was another debutant to stand out, keeping a clean sheet following his return from Burnley in the summer.

The 22-year-old Englishman started in goal after Ederson missed the game because of illness and made a total of three saves in an assured performance.

The Brazilian has entered the final year of his contract at Etihad Stadium and has been heavily linked with a move to Turkish giants Galatasaray.

“I don’t have info,” Guardiola said of Ederson’s future. “Yesterday I saw his illness, gastroenteritis, and after I didn’t speak to the club.

“If the player wants to leave he has to leave, but on the conditions of the club.