Kevin De Bruyne has already highlighted the biggest concern for Man City & Erling Haaland in ‘22/23

Of all Pep Guardiola’s incredible achievements as a manager, leading Manchester City to a Premier League title last season without a recognised striker really has to be up there.

To pip Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool to the crown takes some doing, let alone achieving it without what has always been perceived as an instrumental component to any team.

But Guardiola doesn’t do things like other managers, and his ability to find new ways of dominating matches is what makes him among the greatest-ever coaches in the game’s history.

The striker-less system did have its occasional drawbacks, and in 2021/22 it felt City scored so many similar goals, often involving neat play on the edge of the area before the ball was set back for a first-time finish.

But there were times when City struggled to find the back of the net - chiefly in double headers against Southampton and Crystal Palace - and had they not turned around that two-goal deficit on the final day of the season at home to Aston Villa, an inability to score different types of goals could have been levelled at them as the reason the title slipped away.

There were rarely scrappy, awkward-looking goals, the sort synonymous with a conventional No.9. But that could all change next season…

Haaland’s arrival

The signing of Erling Haaland means Guardiola has perhaps the most in-demand centre-forward on the market, not to mention Julian Alvarez is expected to operate as his back-up.

While there’s no questioning Haaland’s talent - 83 goals in 87 Borussia Dortmund appearances have seen to that - the Norwegian does still have some rawness to his game; he’s not quite the perfectly tuned footballer Guardiola loves to operate with.

There are questions surrounding Haaland’s build-up play, ability to find spaces and how he will adapt to being one of 11 equally-sized cogs in Guardiola’s fluid system, rather than the big fish in a small pond.

The latter is still a concern for Jack Grealish, who still hasn’t quite adjusted to the unique demands at the Etihad, even if the talent is visible for all to see.

Haaland will score goals at City no matter how quickly he adapts to those requirements, due to his physical attributes and impeccable finishing, but there’s a real possibility that he and the team will need to acclimatise to a new way of playing.

Kevin De Bruyne’s influence

One player Guardiola will hope can thrive following Haaland’s introduction is Kevin De Bruyne.

“Erling Haaland is a top striker," he told HLN earlier this summer. "His move should help us to grow as a team.

"Everybody expects a lot. They [the club] have always been looking for a No.9, but I think it’ll be good to have that striker that maybe scores 20-25 goals a season.

“Maybe [his arrival might help me too]. There have been years that I have more assists [than this season]. But my chance creation and other things have remained consistent. Numbers are a part of football but they never tell you the full story.”

The Belgian has amassed a ludicrous total of 53 assists over the past three seasons, a number that should only continue to soar with the introduction of the deadly finisher.

How De Bruyne will adapt

But De Bruyne’s game in recent years has been about so much more than creating chances. He sets the tempo, makes driving runs, presses and scores goals.

So impressive was the 30-year-old in the final months of last season, he won the Premier League Player of the Season and the PFA Players’ Player of the Year despite being so far below his best until the turn of the year.

The performance away to Wolverhampton Wanderers in May was De Bruyne at his very best, as he netted four against Bruno Lage’s side.

It was a performance that pointed to how attuned he’s become to Guardiola’s striker-less system, as he flitted into the centre-forward from midfield, capitalising on space created by quasi-striker Bernardo Silva.

De Bruyne’s displays over the spring months also showed how a shape and formation which was derided by so many had now become almost second nature to City’s players, who use their advantage of having an extra man in midfield.

“It is a good way to keep the ball in possession,” De Bruyne explained last season. “Sometimes there are games where you maybe need a striker, but it depends on how the opponent plays.

“We have performed in so many matches without a striker, so we are used to it. It is whatever they say, but I enjoy the way we play. I think you can see that I like to be in possession of the ball and I like to press forward, this is my style. I am happy.”

But after almost two seasons operating without a classic forward, Guardiola and City will need to amend their tactics once again. Players like De Bruyne will have to unlearn on-field behaviours which have become habitual, with attacking patterns likely to centre around Haaland’s as the focal point up front.

The speed at which this is achieved, plus whether Haaland slots in effortlessly, could go a long way in determining whether the Blues retain their Premier League crown.

This is an exciting new phase for Guardiola’s City, one that could bring them to even greater heights, or present Liverpool with the opportunity they’ve been yearning for.