Man City need a new Kevin De Bruyne and the first audition had a clear winner

Kevin De Bruyne wasn't exactly the ghost at the feast in Philadelphia, but this was clearly the start of a new era for Manchester City.

Those vibes are unmistakable this summer: new players, new coaching staff, new captain, and, according to Pep Guardiola, a new season. Nobody quite knows if the Club World Cup is at the end of 2024/25 or the start of 2025/26.

Guardiola has decided it is the latter, and with good reason. It's a line in the sand from a disappointing campaign and a chance to start afresh. That includes doing so without De Bruyne. For the first time in a decade, this was the Blues without their brilliant Belgian.

It's not really a question of how they will cope, given De Bruyne left with his powers on the wane, but he's been the difference maker so often since 2015 that there will inevitably be a changing of the guard. It also offers room for someone else to take on the mantle of becoming the player to step up when it really requires a moment of magic.

That was never likely to be the case against Wydad AC from Morocco, but with Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki both starting the game, it was a chance for them to lay down a marker.

You could see at times in the Lincoln Financial Field stadium that this was very early in what is essentially City's pre-season. With Savinho, Foden, Cherki and Jeremy Doku in the team, it often got congested. Savinho and Doku played to the width of the penalty area at times, and with Tijjani Reijnders' natural instincts to also push forward, there were a lot of cooks trying to make something happen.

That area of the pitch, centrally located and maybe 20 yards from the Wydad AC goal, was certainly a popular one. Omar Marmoush isn't a No. 9 like Erling Haaland, who will dominate the