Man City show they have shaken off Kevin De Bruyne theory in two matches

Jack Grealish had previously said he had wanted to be the man to assist Erling Haaland’s record-breaking Premier League goal.

He fulfilled that ambition in Wednesday’s 3-0 win over West Ham when his superstar teammate lobbed home his 35th league goal of the season. It’s an historic moment that will get replayed for years to come and Grealish etches himself alongside his teammate in immortality.

But the moment also had another poignant element. Kevin De Bruyne has assisted Haaland 11 times across all competitions this season. However, the Belgian has sat out the last two wins over Fulham and West Ham due to a knock - yet Haaland has still managed to score. While his absence was somewhat evident in the 2-1 win at Craven Cottage, City still came up trumps.

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Replacement Julian Alvarez got the winner with a sublime first-half strike that yet again underlined the strength in depth at Pep Guardiola’s disposal. The first 45 minutes against the Hammers was frustrating but by the end, De Bruyne only crossed the minds of City fans when he came onto the pitch to congratulate his colleagues post-match.

Even if Haaland had not scored and grabbed the headlines, the story still would not have been about the playmaker’s absence. It quietly marks a new phase for City and extinguishes the accusation that the Blues look dented without their talisman in the side.

It’s a theory that had been banded about in recent years. While perhaps in formative seasons this was true, City have lost just one of the 24 matches De Bruyne has either missed or remained on the bench for over the past two seasons.

They have won all but one of their 10 games without him this season,