Palermo 0 – 3 Man City

Tijjani Reijnders laid down a marker ahead of the Premier League’s return with two goals as Manchester City beat Palermo 3-0 in Sicily.

Reijnders was a half-time substitute but scored two classy, similar goals from impressive late runs into the box to seal victory for Pep Guardiola’s side in their one and only pre-season game before next weekend’s top-flight kick-off.

Guardiola also named James Trafford in his starting line-up following his £27m move from Burnley – but the England goalkeeper contributed to a shaky start to the game for City.

Trafford’s sloppiness in possession led to one of the big chances that Palermo spurned in the first half. After his clearance was closed down by Matteo Brunori, the resulting corner saw Pietro Ceccaroni head wide from a few yards out.

Palermo had more chances to break the deadlock, exposing an unconvincing City on the counter-attack but, eventually, Erling Haaland struck.

The forward was found by the impressive Rayan Cherki just outside the area and found the bottom corner with his weaker right foot.

Palermo had a good chance to level but Trafford held Joel Pohjanpalo’s header after Abdukodir Khusanov briefly switched off, but City put their foot on the pedal with Cherki running the show.

The Frenchman nearly got a deserved goal himself as he looked set to tap home Oscar Bobb’s cut back after good play from Nico Gonzalez. But his effort from a few yards out was cleared off the line by Salim Diakite.

That was one of Cherki’s last involvements of the game as Guardiola substituted everyone bar Haaland at half-time. But it was Cherki’s direct replacement Reijinders who doubled the lead shortly after coming on.

The Dutch midfielder, who joined from AC Milan this summer, made a smart run into the area to latch onto Savinho’s pass and fire into the far corner.

Reijnders nearly got a second goal from a very similar move but his effort was well-saved. Yet it would not be too long before he got on the scoresheet again as he picked up a clever flick from Divine Mukasa – with the Dutchman finishing in the same corner as his first goal.

Reijnders could have had a hat-trick in the dying moments as he won the ball high up for a one-on-one and rounded Palermo goalkeeper Alfred Gomis – but tripped over himself at the all-important moment.

But the game just confirmed that alongside Cherki, City have two gems in midfield as they prepare for their Premier League opener against Wolves next Saturday, live on Sky Sports.

Analysis: Cherki and Reijnders can replace De Bruyne – but can they play together?

Sky Sports’ Sam Blitz:

The question: how do you replace Kevin de Bruyne? The answer could well be Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders.

Such is De Bruyne’s quality and legacy at City that Pep Guardiola needed to sign two players in that position to fill his boots. But right now, the duo seem to be the perfect tonic.

Cherki has the potential to be an influential figure in City’s attack this season. He touched the ball 70 times during his 45-minute first-half spell – more than any other player who featured for City on Saturday night – showing how much his team-mates trust him on the ball.

It wasn’t just how often the Frenchman got on the ball, but also what he did with it. Out of his 61 passes, 20 of them were forward and 37 of them were in the opposition half. He was constantly and successfully looking for the gaps and he found an all-important one to set up Erling Haaland’s opener.

Then, on came Reijnders in the same position, who showed a different side to that attacking midfield role. While Cherki impressed with carrying the ball, the Dutchman stole the show by his running off the ball.

The 27-year-old had four shots after coming on – twice as many as the next best player on the pitch – and all of them came from off the ball running.

Reijnders has already shown a strong connection with Savinho, who played a big role in both of his goals, while he also showed the defensive side of his game, winning all four of his duels.

Putting it simply, Cherki and Reijnders have proved they both have the power to unite City’s attacking players. The only question is whether they can play together. If they can do so successfully, then Guardiola may have title-winning firepower again.

More to follow.

Sky Sports to show 215 live Premier League games from next season

From this season, Sky Sports’ Premier League coverage will increase from 128 matches to at least 215 games exclusively live.

And 80 per cent of all televised Premier League games this season are on Sky Sports.