Pep Guardiola smiled recently when it was put to him that Manchester City could play a false nine with Erling Haaland.

Then grinned when it was suggested they play a false nine without Haaland. It has not always been straightforward to marry the most efficient striker in the game with the best example of a collective and it doesn't take much for the Norwegian to look out of place in a Guardiola side, but playing without him is only considered when he is injured.

If the best No.9 in the world is fit, you play him unless it is early in a cup competition. That's how it has worked since the summer of 2022, and City have a few trophies to back up the strategy.

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Haaland will score the goals, but he needs the service. So if you are planning an XI, having somebody who is on the same wavelength as the big man becomes pretty important in selection thoughts.

Kevin De Bruyne instantly struck up a relationship with Haaland two years ago and Ilkay Gundogan quickly followed, but the service completely dried up in City's struggles this season until Savinho breathed new life into the campaign. While the collective struggle continues, three assists for the budding partnership in the last two games has been enough to pick up six priceless points.

Add in the Arsenal and Sparta Prague games and Savinho has five assists for Haaland in just 16 starts together, averaging one every three games they play together. Making goals for Haaland has made up the bulk of Savinho's seven assists in a City shirt.

Compare that to his rivals for a starting position on the wing and it shows up more senior members of the squad. Jack Grealish also has five assists for Haaland but in 57 starts together given he was already at City when Haaland joined, and Jeremy Doku has been unable to assist Haaland in any of the 27 matches they have started together.

The fact that City are spearheaded by their No.9 means that it doesn't say a lot for the other wingers that a 20-year-old Brazilian has leapt into the team by quickly becoming a more consistent supply. If Savinho can continue to add goals himself after finally breaking his duck at Leicester last week, he will become even more obvious for a regular pick in the side.

"Is there someone in this room [who thinks] Savinho doesn’t deserve to play right now?", Guardiola asked after Saturday's game. "No. He deserves. That’s why I play him because he produces.

"A goal the other day, against Everton he was brilliant and at Leicester he made the first goal and today made a goal and two unbelievable assists, the second goal from the beginning. That is top, so that’s why he played."

The game may not be all goals or assists, but as Grealish and Doku look to work themselves back into Guardiola's thoughts then supplying Haaland is a pretty surefire way to nail down your place in the XI. As Savinho knows.