Overview

• Manchester City invested nearly €180 million in summer transfers, signing Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Aït-Nouri, Rayan Cherki and James Trafford to bolster midfield, defense and goalkeeping.
• Tijjani Reijnders had a direct hand in three goals on his debut, initiating the opener, scoring one and assisting another as Erling Haaland netted twice and Rayan Cherki added the fourth.
• Pep Guardiola added former Liverpool assistant Pepijn Lijnders as co-trainer to accelerate City’s shift toward faster transitions identified by Opta data.
• Rodri remains sidelined after last season’s ACL injury but Guardiola expects the defensive midfielder to be fully fit in September.
• Kevin De Bruyne’s departure to Napoli and a bloated roster following back-to-back heavy spending have intensified scrutiny over squad management and depth.