ETIHAD STADIUM, MANCHESTER — As people up and down the United Kingdom mull over what might end up in the Chancellor of the Exchequer's budget later this month, Manchester City supporters are left with one comforting certainty: Death, taxes and Erling Haaland goals.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference before Wednesday's 4-1 Champions League victory over his former club Borussia Dortmund, Haaland was asked whether he could break his scoring record this season. "Not to sound arrogant, but which one?" came the smirking reply.
For now, he must settle for adding another to the collection. When Haaland slammed home Jeremy Doku's pass in the 29th minute, he became the first player to score in five consecutive Champions League appearances for three different clubs, having also done so for RB Salzburg and Dortmund. Just take a moment to recognise how absurd that is.
Haaland will travel to his first World Cup next year and no doubt have a dart at some more records in North America. For some of his English team-mates at Manchester City, however, things are less certain.
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How many Man City players are in the England squad?
Thomas Tuchel likes certainty, as evidenced by his unchanged England squad for the October internationals. That left the likes of Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden on the sidelines. His selection this week for games against Serbia and Albania will carry heavy meaning even though the games are dead rubbers.
For the final internationals of last season, not a single Manchester City player made the England squad – a reflection of a collectively poor 2024/25 (City's squad mockingly called their Halloween Party last week 'I Know What You Did Last Season') and the first time this had happened since October 2005.
John Stones has since returned to the fray. His fitness remains a delicate matter. The 31-year-old withdrew from England's September squad with a problem, much to Pep Guardiola's chagrin. He started both games last month.
Tuchel has been a stickler for club form when it comes to his selections and Stones has generally watched on as Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol man centre-back duties for City this season. But his performance against Dortmund quietly underlined the fact that the 85-cap veteran remains England's best central defender, in and out of possession.
He launched attacks smoothly when City had the upper hand during the first half and made a vital last-ditch block after Waldemar Anton pulled a goal back to make things briefly interesting at 3-1.
This column talks about sending Tuchel a message. But Stones would never have to be so loud. Just a wink and a smile. Thomas knows. Provided Stones' body doesn't betray him, he's on the plane.
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Will Phil Foden be picked for England?
Much of the October focus fell upon why Bellingham had been omitted, despite only recently returning from shoulder surgery. But Phil Foden, the PFA and FWA Player of the Year in 2023/24, was also back on song after a dire 12 months.
Foden's downturn began when he followed the finest season of his career with a Euro 2024 that did not ignite. He failed to score in seven matches, with thudding strikes against the post versus Denmark and the Netherlands standing as personal sliding doors moments.
Both times the 25-year-old took aim for the bottom corner of Gregor Kobel's goal on Wednesday night, the ball flew in. His second goal, the 104th of his City career, was particularly sublime.
The counterpoint is that Foden has just four goals in 45 international appearances, so Tuchel is under no obligation. But England ultimately don't have a player quite like Foden, especially the version we're seeing this season, who has been trusted to operate a bit deeper in a changing City team. This is a player now capable of dictating the tempo and facilitating for others after a near decade of Guardiola hard-wiring.
One special moment came just before his first goal, when Foden dropped into his own half to receive a pass from Stones, spun as he caressed a first touch and bolted clear of the Dortmund midfield to orchestrate a City attack. Tuchel might want to have a look at that.
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What is Nico O'Reilly's position?
In Tuchel's first game in charge, breakout Arsenal star Miles Lewis-Skelly made his England debut and scored to cap a 2-0 win over Albania. However, the teenager has been displaced as first choice by Riccardo Calafiori.
Handily, if converted youth team midfielders powering forward from full-back is Tuchel's thing, he has Nico O'Reilly. The City youngster earned a first senior call-up following injury withdrawals last month and the England boss will surely want another look.
O'Reilly is still learning his position, and teams like to test him with a few diagonal crossfield balls early on. The most notable example of this resulted in Eberechi Eze's winning goal for Crystal Palace in last season's FA Cup final.
But, as evidenced by his successful early duelling with Dortmund's dangerous Karim Adeyemi, O'Reilly is a fast learner. He also knows when to deploy his natural attacking prowess. Driving forward through the inside left channel, you see the accomplished No. 10 from age-group football.
O'Reilly times his bursts into the penalty area like a natural. He scored a fine goal in City's 3-1 win over Bournemouth at the weekend and charged beyond Haaland to almost score another here.
World Cup years always have stories of bolters, people no one would have had near the squad at the start of the season who change their lives the following summer. O'Reilly could be that man for England.