Julian Alvarez's new role could give Man City a different kind of striker problem

Manchester City will have many more demanding games to come this season, but they've not missed Kevin De Bruyne too much so far thanks to the versatile brilliance of Julian Alvarez.

The World Cup winner was always going to need more minutes this season and De Bruyne's misfortune has been to his benefit. He was in the team with the Belgian, but without him he's made that attacking midfield role his own.

Alvarez clearly doesn't have De Bruyne's creative brilliance and perhaps that will be more problematic in games to come, but what he does provide is another attacking option. He links superbly with Erling Haaland and makes runs from slightly deeper that are proving difficult for defences to stop.

For City's opener against Fulham he was in the kind of position you wouldn't expect to find De Bruyne, right in front of goal ready to capitalise on Haaland's mis-hit finish.

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He turned provider for Haaland after the break. His through ball for the Norwegian's first got a fortunate bounce off Tim Ream, but he looked well-placed to score before being brought down for the penalty which led to the fourth goal.

Alvarez and Haaland had started and finished the previous two Premier League games before this and as good as the 23-year-old is proving to be in that role, it could present a problem at some point when it comes to resting Haaland. He played the whole game again and Alvarez had just a minute off.

The Argentine has always been the obvious replacement, but at this rate he will need a break of his own at the same point. City could do with a third striker now.

With John Stones unavailable it was Manuel Akanji who stepped into midfield from centre-back this week, allowing Mateo Kovacic to