After Western Sydney’s early goal, the rest of the half became a dull affair with very little to note. With Melbourne City chasing the game in the second stanza, the game picked up with four goals between the sides providing an entertaining match for the neutrals.

Both sides still have many unknowns about them, but right now, Melbourne City showed just enough to taste victory.

Here are three thoughts from Melbourne City’s 3-2 win against Western Sydney Wanderers at Bankwest Stadium.

Bruce Kamau lifts Western Sydney, almost

Who is this guy? Is this really the same Kamau of last season?

The winger has missed the beginning of the A-League due to injury, and it’s clear that with him in the team, there is far more impetus going forward. His first touch cross straight into the path of Kwame Yeboah was what dreams are made for.

The combination between Kamau and Yeboah was startling to watch throughout the game. Two players that haven’t shown their clear ability in a long time, both having standout performances and producing some of the Wanderers’ best play this season.

PLUS...

Babbel fury: I'm not saying anything about the referees. But we are not blind here, no?

Jamie Maclaren has continued his remarkable goalscoring run with two goals in Melbourne City's controversial 3-2 A-League win over Western Sydney.

The elephant in the room is the fact that those moments of brilliance came while marquee striker Alexander Meier was left on the bench. Suddenly, instead of the static target that is Meier, there was movement as players interchanged positions between each other and played as a unit.

Meier’s introduction also meant that there was less tracking back as there was in the first half, with his 36 year old legs not able to move box to box unlike his teammates.

Although he later assisted the second goal late in the second half, perhaps it makes an argument that he works better as a plan B than the first line of attack?