To say plenty of Blues were on a downer at the Etihad on Sunday, Manchester City have rarely felt more on the up. As hundreds of supporters abseiled down the east stand of the stadium behind statues of three modern great players to raise money for City in the Community, thousands more were across the ground welcoming a modern-day superstar who could also leave his mark on the club.
The sun beamed down outside the Colin Bell Stand as Erling Haaland, Julian Alvarez and Stefan Ortega were all introduced to fans; Kalvin Phillips was a late cancellation after becoming ill.
It felt like a statement from City to hold this event, a show of the strength of their transfer business only days into the window. Here was a world-class striker coveted by all, one of the brightest young players in South America, and a new goalkeeper primed to give Ederson fresh competition in one of the biggest overhauls of the squad since Pep Guardiola arrived at the club.
