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Manchester City looked excellent in their opening day 4-0 win over Wolves at Molineux.
Sean McCormick Football Content Editor 06:00, 18 Aug 2025
Sean McCormick is a content editor across our North East and Yorkshire football clubs. He was previously a Newcastle United reporter, a trends writer covering both the Magpies and Sunderland AFC, as well as a football content editor at the Manchester Evening News. He also writes about darts and boxing. He joined us in 2016.
Tijjani Reijnders' performance was hailed as 'absolutely sensational' by former Newcastle and England captain Alan Shearer.
He also dubbed the Dutchman an 'absolute nightmare to play against' and Wolves midfield pair Andre and Joao Gomes will surely not disagree.
Reijnders' non-stop running, with and without the ball, at Molineux was incredible and even with 37 games to go the Brazilian pair will be hard-pressed to come up against a better midfield display all season.
Shearer, while working on BBC's Match of the Day, labelled it the 'perfect midfield performance' and the former AC Milan midfielder has set the bar high for the rest of the campaign.
When he signed for City, Director of Football Hugo Viana warned he would only get better under the guidance of Pep Guardiola.
“Tijjani adds extra energy, composure and creativity to our midfield," Viana said. "Working with Pep and our coaches will only see him go from strength to strength.”
That work already looks to have paid dividends. Reijnders bagged a goal and an assist at Molineux and it was his driving run and clever through pass that put Rico Lewis through to square the ball to Erling Haaland for City's opening goal.
If anybody was worried about filling the Kevin De Bruyne shaped hole in the City squad, they seemingly need worry no more.
While De Bruyne's creative talents are beyond compare, Reijnders is physically superior and it perhaps signifies City's evolution as they move into a new era under Guardiola.
That was certainly the view of former Manchester United and England captain Wayne Rooney, who was also in the Match of the Day studio on Saturday evening.
"It certainly looks like it from today's performance," Rooney added when asked whether Reijnders will prove to be De Bruyne's replacement in the City side.
"What really impressed me with Manchester City today was the energy they played with. Last season there was question marks about the energy in the team but I thought they outrun Wolves."
Shearer added: "He [Reijnders] was a big part of that with the way he ran with and without the ball and when you are up against that it is difficult to keep up with it.
"He kept on going and going and they just didn't have an answer for him."
Reijnders scored 15 goals in all competitions for AC Milan last season and now has scored in two successive games for City, having also bagged in last weekend's 3-0 friendly win over Palermo.
What is exciting to see now is how he will complement Rodri at the base of City's midfield when last year's Ballon d'Or winner returns to the side.
The win at Wolves was an exciting glimpse into City's future and, on that evidence, Reijnders is going to be at the very heart of it.
Man City's 2025/26 Third Shirt
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Man City have launched their new third shirt for the 2025/26 season.
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