(Football news) Erling Haaland has arguably been the signing of the season and the Norwegian has already scored 11 goals in 7 matches so far. Last season’s top scorer Kevin de Bruyne scored 15 goals in 30 appearances, but the Belgian has since adapted his game to accommodate Haaland and make City into an even more prolific team that they already were. De Bruyne has six assists so far this season, two more than Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka and double that of any other player and looks on course to break his record of 20 assists in a season. Guardiola has shifted his responsibilities to that of a playmaker this season and the Belgian midfielder has responded fantastically, with unmatched creativity and an expected assists total that is double that of almost every other player in the Premier League.

When asked about his contribution to the team, De Bruyne said “"I try to create as many chances as possible for my team and if they score I will get an assist. I have been doing the same thing since I came here." The 31 year old has a total of 92 assists in the Premier League now, equal with Steven Gerrard, one less than David Silva and two behind Dennis Bergkamp and it’s more than likely that he will overtake them all. However, unlike the trio mentioned above, De Bruyne has managed three out of his six assists from crosses at the right wing position. Unlike the previous seasons, De Bruyne is playing closer to the touchline, instead of operating in the penalty box so that Haaland can be at the receiving end of his passes. 

So far, De Bruyne has made 61 touches in a small area at the right wing where he operates, a staggering 16.1% of his total game time, which is also a higher percentage than his previous six seasons at Manchester City. The Belgian has always operated as a midfielder who thrives in space and has now begun to adapt his game on the right wing where he gets more time and room to operate than the middle of the park. It can be said that Haaland would not be as prolific in front of goal without De Bruyne’s service and it’s also fair to assume that the 31 year old is Manchester City’s most important player in Pep Guardiola’s well oiled machine.

Also read: Spain qualify for Nations League finals after win against Portugal