David James and Trevor Sinclair have suggested Manchester City may not have needed to sign a striker after six different players scored in their win over RB Leipzig on Wednesday.
Pep Guardiola’s Citizens kicked off their Group A campaign with a 6-3 win at home to the Bundesliga side. Nathan Ake broke the deadlock after just 16-minutes, before an own goal from Nordi Mukiele doubled the host’s advantage.
Riyad Mahrez later added from the spot in the second minute of first-half stoppage-time after Christopher Nkunku scored the first of what would develop into a hat-trick. While Jack Grealish, Joao Cancelo and Gabriel Jesus struck to nullify Die Roten Bullen’s comeback.
Ake’s early opener marked the Dutch defender’s first Champions League goal in his fourth appearance. While Grealish marked his debut in the competition by netting and assisting for Ake. Mahrez now has 11 goals over 35 games in the tournament, while Cancelo has three in 31 and Jesus 17 in 32 appearances since scoring on his debut in September 2017.
Manchester City’s rounded attacking output came following a summer pursuing a move for Tottenham star Harry Kane. Guardiola even confirmed, via Sky Sports, the Citizens’ interest, but the Etihad Stadium side refused to pay the £150m Spurs demanded, per The Telegraph.
The Sky Blues wanted to sign a striker after Sergio Aguero’s exit left Jesus as the only senior option. But James, who played 100 games for Manchester City, and Sinclair, who played 98, both raised doubt of if their former side actually need a striker given how they beat Leipzig.
“Who needs a No9? Six different scorers.” James pondered on Twitter. While Sinclair noted: “I’m not sure City need a striker!”
Do Manchester City need a striker, despite James and Sinclair’s Leipzig comments?
As well as impressing Sinclair and James with their volume of different scorers, Manchester City also hosted RB Leipzig in the Champions League without playing an out-and-out striker.
Ferran Torres started the night as a false-nine, as he has in the Premier League this season, too. The Spanish winger has opened all four of the Citizens’ top-flight fixtures thus far in a central role. He also scored twice and assisted once in the 5-0 rout of Arsenal last month.
The 21-year-old’s brace at home to the Gunners remain his only goals for the season so far across all competitions. While 11 players have now found the net for Guardiola this term. As well as those who scored against Leipzig and Torres, Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Raheem Sterling and Aymeric Laporte have fired home once in 2021/22 to date.
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