Kevin De Bruyne has fired a warning to the rest of the Premier League – just one touch from Erling Haaland could be enough to sink you.
City’s new striker touched the ball just eight times against Bournemouth but it was enough to provide one assist and earn a standing ovation from home fans as City swept to the top of the table.
More importantly, his movement created panic in the visiting sides defensive ranks and helped Pep Guardiola’s side run riot in a 4-0 rout which could have been double that. De Bruyne said: “However many touches he was dangerous and you don’t need a lot of touches to be dangerous.
“He helped the team in many aspects and didn’t complain. He was helping and giving assists so it’s fine. He did well. If he doesn’t score they will say it but he set up the first goal, he had a couple of chances and he was there. He helped make those chances and he did what he had to do. On another day he will score.”
Haaland could have had a hat-trick. Phil Foden should have set him up for a tap in, he had a chipped effort tipped over, rolled a snap shot just wide and just failed to control a lovely through ball from Rodri.
But his overall play and intelligent movement induced indecision in the Bournemouth back lines, directly assisting Ilkay Gundogan’s first and, drawing defenders away from De Bruyne, City’s third. Phil Foden scored in between those two first half strikes and Jefferson Lerma added a fourth, turning into his own net in the second half as City grabbed top spot. And De Bruyne believes against better teams who arrive with more ambition, Haaland could be even more effective.
“It's always good to have a focal point, someone who is going to be there. Even today, some of the crosses we put in he was almost there,” said the midfielder. “It's very difficult anyway when teams play that way and we know that. it's maybe something he isn't used to from Germany but he was solid for me on a lot of points. And he is really, really quick. I didn't know he was that fast before he came here.”
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Haaland’s presence helped Gundogan, De Bruyne and Phil Foden to find the space and have superb games and Riyad Mahrez was not far behind them. Further back Nathan Ake was the standout defender on show.
Bournemouth's Kieffer Moore ensured that both Ake and Ruben Dias were made to work with a tireless display of forward play which will be rewarded on other days. With City three to the good at half time and with the sweltering conditions Guardiola was able to rotate his side, removing Foden at half time to give Jack Grealish some air time.
Gundogan, Dias and Haaland also saw their afternoon’s cut short with Bernardo Silva given a run out despite still being targeted by Barcelona. City were less effective when the changes were made with their urgency and zip down a notch. But that could have been to do with the heat's cumulative effect.
The late cameo by Bernardo was greeted with a passionate response from the crowd given interest from Barcelona in taking the Portugal international to the Nou Camp. But De Bruyne said he expected their chase to come to nothing. “I think that he will be here with us this year so there’s nothing that I'm worried about,” he said.
