Having just supplied Erling Haaland with two goals in the first Premier League match of the season, Kevin De Bruyne allowed himself a smile when asked if he could get to a point where he could find his new teammate 100 per cent of the time.
Part of it was the swift U-turn following a week of Haaland being questioned in the wake of the Community Shield, yet there was also the reality check that the fantasy visions of the world’s best assister behind the world’s best forward did not guarantee perfection. Like planets in the night sky, the pair would not always align to shine together.
That has been evident during the individual and collective difficulties each has faced this season. These must be placed In context given their respective hauls, but as late as February TV pundits were claiming City were better without Haaland and Pep Guardiola has acknowledged a significant change in De Bruyne.
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Both men are currently in top form, and in this setting are living up to the fantasy. De Bruyne has laid on goals for Haaland in three of the four games since the 22-year-old retuned from injury; at Southampton, at home to Leicester and at Bayern.
The last of these came from a similar area of the pitch where Jumal Musiala had set Leroy Sane scampering free an hour earlier, only for the former City man to shoot wide. These are the small details that matter at this stage of the Champions League, and the ones that the Blues are not used to being on the right side of.
Two of the three were breakaway goals as well, making City better by providing De Bruyne with a player who can keep up with his fast transitions. Without Haaland’s pace, the Belgian would likely have to tone down his aggressive instincts and turn back to retain possession.
"I think the connection between Erling and Kevin is obvious," Guardiola said at the weekend. "I think Kevin needs the runners to do his biggest quality. Erling needs an assist player to make his positive runs. It's a natural way. We talk a lot about 'take a look at him when he runs and put the ball there'.
"When the ball is correct, and he has this space, he is unstoppable. We know it. But they have a special connection and you can see this."
Little wonder then that Guardiola is so happy at the moment, with his two best attackers making each other better. Haaland has 48 goals and De Bruyne 23 assists, and their combination play is sparkling.
That is some achievement, but to combine for three of those across the last 10 days is a major indication that currently it is as simple as De Bruyne plus Haaland equalling goals.
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