De Bruyne Proves Deadly For Striker-Less Superstars

Pep Guardiola can be the scourge of the centre-forward, the pioneer who threatens to render them an endangered species.

- Richard Jolly

So how better to celebrate signing the world's most coveted young striker than by presenting an argument that he doesn't really need him?

Just the second player to score four goals in a Premier League game this season was a Manchester City midfielder, Kevin de Bruyne. Wolves, who had one of the best defensive records in Europe a few weeks ago, conceded five.

Guardiola joked he was disappointed De Bruyne, who also hit the post, did not get five of his own. The only other player to score four this year, incidentally, was the City striker who decided he wasn't a striker, Gabriel Jesus. He was long seen as Sergio Aguero's successor; instead, Erling Haaland may belatedly assume that mantle, but only after two seasons when City should win the Premier League without needing a specialist centre-forward in their strongest side.

Haaland offers the potential of 40 goals on his own, but City's collective commitment to scoring is such that they have 22 in five games. They may yet finish this season with a century in the Premier League, the vast majority from those who can be called midfielders, wingers or No 10s; anything except strikers.