Tijjani Reijnders is Man City’s “game changer” as bold Premier League title prediction made after 4-0 opening win over Wolves

Manchester City “game changer” Tijjani Reijnders could score up to 20 Premier League goals in his debut campaign under Pep Guardiola, Citizens expert Steven McInerney from Esteemed Kompany has told Sports Mole.

The 27-year-old summer signing from AC Milan has made an “electric” start to life at Man City and produced a man-of-the-match display to help the Citizens ease to a 4-0 victory at Wolverhampton Wanderers in their opening Premier League game of the 2025-26 season last weekend.

Reijnders became the first Man City player since Sergio Aguero back in 2011 to both score and assist on his Premier League debut, and Guardiola heaped praise on the Dutchman after the match, stating that the midfielder is “a top signing for the coming years”.

“Tijjani Reinders looks special,” McInerney told Sports Mole. “You see with players every now and then that they have a certain X-factor to their game. On your debut in the Premier League, if you just keep it comfortable, don't give the ball away, do the simple things right, everyone's going to give you an awful lot of plaudits just for being there and rising to the level.

“Reijnders didn't just do that, he did what Aguero did when he made his debut many years ago as a substitute against Swansea. He took the game by the scruff of the neck. He was absolutely electric.

“He did everything you needed him to do. He got the ball from the centre-backs, dropping into the number six position, he was also bursting forward, past [Erling] Haaland at times, trying to get on the end of chances. It wasn't just about his energy and his dynamism, the technical ability on show is ridiculous.

Guardiola will build his Man City team around “special” Reijnders

“Tijjani Reinders won Manchester City that game with moments of unquestionable quality. Last season, for me watching City, there wasn't much of that. Kevin De Bruyne showed glimpses of it, but as good as he is, it didn't feel like he was a genius anymore.

“The very best De Bruyne, or the very best of say Rodri or even Phil Foden in the season before last, they just did things that others couldn't stop and we lacked that last year as a side. Reijnders showed that quality that he has that makes him so unpredictable. It makes him a game changer.

“When you sign a player that's a game changer - I think City might have signed two or three actually - then you've got a chance to win points in games that could be difficult. Reijnders showed he is quite a special footballer actually.

“He's arrived at a very good point of his career. This is a big move for him. AC Milan are an historic club, but they haven't been a major force in Serie A or European football for a while now. This is a step up for Reijnders and you can tell he wants to be here.

“You can tell Guardiola's going to build the team around him and with the direction of attack's going to go more direct, more incisive, it's being built around Reinders too, so this guy's going to be a key player. I think he's going to have a massive impact on the Premier League and world football.

McInerney does not believe that anyone, including Reijnders, can replace “one-of-one” club legend De Bruyne, who joined Napoli earlier this summer after 10 trophy-laden years at Man City, but he feels that Reijnders has the attributes to deliver similar goal and assist numbers to the Belgian.

Reijnders backed to score 20 Premier League goals for Man City

“Reijnders is not going to be Kevin De Bruyne - and you look traditionally towards Rayan Cherki (as a potential heir) - but the impact that De Bruyne had were moments of magic to win you a game. Can Reijnders do that? Well, he's already shown a lot of signs of that in the glimpses of football that we've seen,” said McInerney.

“I've got him down to be City’s second-leading goalscorer after Haaland - you can't do top goalscorer other than Haaland, you have to do an after-Haaland category - and I think Reijnders is going to get pushing 20 goals, because he seems to have this incredible hunger for goals. (He makes) Frank Lampard-esque kind of runs, but then also (has) creativity as well.

“We could be looking at a guy here who gets 15 to 20 goals and 10 to 15 assists and that's De Bruyne numbers essentially. De Bruyne has been getting around those stats for a while. [Reijnders will produce] different kinds of assists. They won't necessarily be (like) De Bruyne. Who knows, he might have it in his locker, but I'm not expecting these whipped crosses from the right channel five times a game that just land on forwards heads, or reverse passes out of nowhere.

“When we went from Yaya [Toure] to, essentially, De Bruyne, Yaya was different to De Bruyne. When we went from Aguero to Haaland, Aguero was different to Haaland. [Vincent] Kompany to [Ruben] Dias. You can't always replace these greats in the same way, but in a different way and who knows Reijnders could be very effective, just in a very different way.

“I don't think he'll quite reach Kevin De Bruyne levels, because De Bruyne is one-of-one, but some of the parts between Cherki and Reijnders (are similar to De Bruyne). I think City might be back to where they were potentially and that's what's quite exciting for me.”

McInerney has seen enough from Man City’s impressive win at Wolves to boldly suggest that the Citizens will win the Premier League title and will “fear no-one” if they come through their next four matches against Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton & Hove Albion, Manchester United and Arsenal unscathed.

Bold Man City title prediction made ahead of four challenging fixtures

“Come through that run on top of the table, City win the league," said McInerney. "We might not do, but if we do, that means the signs of quality that was shown [against Wolves] are valid.

“If City win three of the next four games, maybe unbeaten and top of the table, I think City will fear no-one at that point.

“I think it's significant that City are top of the table after the first game. It was the manner of the win as well (that gives me confidence). “[City’s win over Wolves] was built on the new guys and that’s what makes it exciting.

“We know how good the older ones are, we know how good Phil Foden, Josko Gvardiol, Rodri all are and they weren't involved, so if they come back - and I presume they will come back playing well if the rest of the young lads have got the energy around them - it's quite telling and it's quite a good omen for Manchester City fans.

“It's just the first game, but if you asked all the managers who'd be the happiest out of the traditional bigger sides, I think Guardiola would be happiest this weekend. Given where we've come from, I think that has to mean something.

“It could all come tumbling down in front of us. It could be that a rejuvenate Spurs under Thomas Frank gives us a hard time next weekend at the Etihad, Brighton away is always going to be tricky, and then the first derby could be a chastening experience - it could be that level of horrors and expectations change.

“But I think Guardiola will be happy and I think the signs of all the ideas they put into place are there. I think the performance and where we're sat in the table after the first game week is vindicated.”

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