Kevin De Bruyne admits Man City's striker-less formation suits his style after Manchester United demolition

Pep Guardiola made it plain this week that Manchester City will be in hot pursuit of a striker when the summer transfer window opens. With the Blues smashing neighbours Manchester United to re-open their six-point lead at the top of the Premier League, with one foot in the Champions League quarter-final and already in the last eight of the FA Cup, adding another expensive player might seem like gilding the lily.

Both this season and last, when Sergio Aguero missed most of the campaign through injury, the Blues have made light of doing without a goalscoring striker, flying in the face of traditional English football wisdom. In fact they have been so good without a striker that United tried to copy them in the derby, going without a striker themselves - and ended up looking like a poor tribute act.

That was forced on them a little by the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani through injury, but the fact they left Marcus Rashford on the bench meant there was an element of choice in the matter.

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But, while Guardiola clearly believes a natural goalscorer would take his team up another level, his midfield general Kevin De Bruyne has made it plain that he quite enjoys the freedom that the Blues’ fluid false nine system brings, and thinks that it lends itself well to City’s possession football. De Bruyne was brilliant in turning City defence into attack during that derby, surging into the space between United’s midfield and defence, linking with false nine Phil Foden and twice arriving late in the box to land killer blows on the Reds.

And he admitted afterwards that he quite likes playing without a striker: “It is a good way to keep the