On the opening weekend of the Premier League season, Manchester City delivered a statement performance with a 4-0 thrashing of Wolves at Molineux Stadium. Reinders, directly involved in three goals, was undoubtedly the standout player of the match.
When Reinders made his debut as a Manchester City player during the Club World Cup, he couldn’t have been clearer in his words. Even before kicking a ball for his new club, he made it explicit what he was—not who he was replacing.
“I’m not here to replace him,” Reinders said in Miami. The “him” in question, of course, is De Bruyne. The Belgian may not have been at his best last season, but the end of his decade-long glory with the Citizens inevitably left an enormous void waiting to be filled.
In truth, no one really expected Reinders to be the one to replace De Bruyne. Sheikh, with his idiosyncratic qualities, seemed more like the heir apparent to City’s creative hub. Even Foden, with his well-established abilities, was poised to bounce back strongly after a difficult season.
But amid the questions surrounding the dethroned champions at the start of this season, it was Reinders who delivered the most De Bruyne-esque performance at Molineux. A goal, assists, and featherlight touches worthy of video highlight reels marked his standout Premier League debut.
Following his brace in Sicily last week, Guardiola described Reinders as a “special player in the box.” After filling Rodri’s defensive midfield role at the Club World Cup, he is now no longer content with the No.8 role he was initially expected to occupy upon signing.
This explains why he excels in this position, and why Kovačić and Nico González were considered more likely to back up Rodri than Reinders. His forward passing, goalscoring instinct, and dribbling ability all stand out.
In the 34th minute, the 27-year-old orchestrated a goal that hinted this season might be different. Prior to that, City had controlled the game but failed to create clear-cut chances—echoing last season’s pattern: seemingly in control yet struggling to finish opponents off, only to watch games slip away.
Although only four of City’s eight summer signings from 2025 started this opener, the team is evolving rapidly, and Reinders has dispelled any lurking doubts.
He began with a powerful surge through midfield, then delivered an exquisite chip to find Rico Lewis with pinpoint accuracy. There’s no denying Haaland delivered the killer blow on opening day, but it was a simple finish for him. Tracing back from Haaland’s easy goal to Lewis’s neat cross, it all stemmed from Reinders’ excellence in orchestrating the attack.
The Dutch international, who made his name at AC Milan last season as a midfielder influencing play in the final third, has carried that form into his City career. His second goal, struck with his left foot, was breathtaking in both precision and simplicity.
He shone even brighter in the second half, when he cleverly intercepted Trafford’s midfield pass, drove forward into Wolves’ half again, exchanged a one-two with Oscar Bobb, and played a pinpoint pass to set up Haaland, who doubled his tally for City’s third goal
Sheikh’s goal rounded off the rout, and the 22-year-old Frenchman may well become a star of City’s 2025 generation in the future. But for now, Reinders is making the biggest difference.
