As debuts go, **Tijjani Reijnders**’s first experience of Premier League football in **Manchester City**’s 4-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend was almost as perfect as first bows come.
City supporters have been longing for **Rodri**’s return ever since the midfielder went down against Arsenal almost a year ago, but they are quickly realising that the midfield newcomer may be just as important if they are to reestablish the status quo this season.
Reijnders became only the second City debutant, after Sergio Aguero in 2011, to score and assist on his debut for the club. The Dutch midfielder orchestrated the first, scored the second, assisted the third and did much of the leg work for the fourth.
It was a display of stunning efficiency that suggested City have seriously strengthened an area of the pitch that had become somewhat stale, especially last season when injuries hit hard.
Reijnders, who signed from AC Milan for £45 million this summer after two seasons in **Serie A**following a move from AZ Alkmaar, certainly has big boots to fill having been earmarked as the replacement for Kevin De Bruyne and the creative void that the Belgian’s exit left.
Getty: Malcolm Couzens
One sublime debut doesn’t make a summer, but the initial impression from Molineux was that not only has Reijnders seamlessly fitted into the City side, he also brings something different to the middle of the pitch.
Whilst plenty of City’s play went through the 27-year-old and he was perfectly comfortable being the facilitator in deeper areas, what stood out most were his frequent surges forward after offloading the ball.
At times, Reijnders effectively became City’s No 10 and such dynamism has not always been present in **Pep Guardiola**’s midfield. Whereas De Bruyne often hung back to deliver the ball from more withdrawn positions, his replacement offers greater explosiveness and incisive runs in central areas.
Scoring 15 goals and being named Serie A midfielder of the season, despite Milan having a poor campaign last time out and missing out on European football due to an eighth-placed finish, only highlights how effective Reijnders was in a limited side.
Dynamic midfield is something City lacked last term
Saturday lunchtime provides the first opportunity for City fans to see their new midfielder up close, as Tottenham Hotspur visit the Etihad Stadium. It’s likely Thomas Frank, the Spurs head coach, will have undertaken his pre-match analysis with a particular eye on how Reijnders influenced City’s first game.
Although Guardiola confirmed that Rodri is finally back available for selection, it’s highly unlikely that the Spaniard will start this weekend. But there will soon become a time when Reijnders and Rodri form the basis of the City midfield together; and such a double pivot would allow Guardiola to deploy another attacker further upfield.
The options available to the City manager have grown, and the only attacking players currently sidelined are Mateo Kovacic and Savinho, who has been linked with a move to Spurs. Phil Foden has returned from injury and joins the likes of Rayan Cherki, Oscar Bobb, Matheus Nunes and Omar Marmoush all competing for a handful of starting berths.
Getty: James Gill-Danehouse
Reijnders started to the right of Nico Gonzalez, City’s deepest midfielder, against Wolves whilst Bernardo Silva was on the left, but there will be plenty of opportunities for flexibility and changes, even during matches.
It was, of course, at home to Spurs that City hit rock bottom during their mid-season plummet last term. The 4-0 loss in November exposed how easy it had become for opposition teams to play through a jaded team that lacked a reliable midfield.
Now, City look rejuvenated and their comprehensive season opener quickly had bookmakers cutting the odds on Guardiola’s team returning to former glories sooner than expected.
At the heart of any renaissance will likely be a calm and athletic Dutchman who the City home crowd are eager to see for themselves.