The Portuguese’s future was one of the storylines of the summer until he signed a new three-year contract, but niggling injuries prevented him from making a strong start and then further interrupted his flow after an excellent display at West Ham.
He has finally got a run of games and he has looked back to his very best, giving a dominant, Man-of-the-Match display in the derby at Old Trafford and getting a glowing tribute from Guardiola.
Jeremy Doku
City signed the Belgian to cover for Riyad Mahrez’s departure and make sure they had an incisive winger who could make them less predictable and give them an edge against cagey teams. Doku is all that and more, and has given City an electric presence down the left flank, contributing two goals and two assists already.
He was a joy to watch against Brighton and will terrify a lot of City’s opponents, but his tendency to give the ball away due to his frenzied movement means he is unlikely to start the biggest matches, hence him being benched against Arsenal and United.
Ruben Dias
Still the undisputed leader at the back and has barely put a foot wrong so far, proving instrumental in City conceding just seven goals in their 10 league games. He has had to adapt to a variety of partners due to injuries and has remained a constant presence.
He was particularly impressive against Newcastle in the league, while looked in his element when Rodri was sent off against Forest, relishing having to dig deep and fight for the remainder of the match.
Kyle Walker
Has built on his excellent finish to last season, when he proved Guardiola wrong following stinging criticism and played a pivotal role in City’s run to the treble. Walker had become such an influential figure that his team-mates demanded that he could not leave for Bayern Munich in the summer and he signed a new contract instead.
He has become even more important this season, stepping up as captain in De Bruyne’s absence and showing leadership in defence and attack. Walker is once again one of City’s most lively attackers, but has not shirked his defensive duties.
Players often start to decline at the age of 33, but Walker now looks like the complete footballer and in peak physical shape.
Phil Foden
Foden was in a strange position last season, watching mostly from the sidelines as City conquered all before them. He had his moments, including a superb performance from the bench in the Champions League final, but it was clear he needed to have a bigger role.
He has been given that this season and has fully seized the opportunity, thriving in a deeper midfield role where he can dictate City’s play while still getting forward and contributing to goals (he has four assists and three strikes of his own).
Foden has been so brilliant that City have barely noticed the absence of De Bruyne, and it was fitting that the boy from Stockport who has spent his life with the Blues should get the final goal against United.
Julian Alvarez
It felt strange for a World Cup-winning striker to play as little as Alvarez did last season, but he has started practically every match this term, scoring seven goals and notching four assists in all competitions.
The Argentine has got even more confident this season, producing a sublime control and finish against Red Star Belgrade, a thumping strike from outside the area against Newcastle, a wonderful curling effort with no backlift at Leipzig and a first-time strike against Brighton. He is an excellent foil for Haaland and proving a top-class striker in his own right.
Rodri
The hero of Istanbul has only grown more influential since the Champions League final. He has dominated practically every game he has played, acting as an indomitable force in front of the defence as well as fuelling the attack with incisive balls from deep, not to mention directly contributing to six goals.
His true importance to the team was underlined during his absence while suspended. As soon as he returned, City started winning again. Guardiola’s side’s record with and without him says it all. They have won all 11 matches the Spaniard has started this season, and lost all the matches he has missed.
Guardiola has hailed him as the best holding midfielder in Europe and no one could argue with that. City just better hope he doesn’t get injured or suspended again.
Erling Haaland
How could Haaland follow up his first record-breaking season in England? By scoring with his first touch of the new campaign, obviously. Haaland’s fourth-minute strike at Burnley showed he was in no mood for slowing down and he continues to lead the way at the top of the Premier League’s scoring charts, with 11 goals in 10 matches. He has also struck up a fine understanding with Alvarez.
Despite his immense strike rate, Haaland has come in for some criticism for a few ropey performances, most notably against Wolves and Arsenal, when he had a grand total of one shot across both games. But the zombie-like Norwegian never sleeps for long, and he has scored five goals in his last three matches, starring in the derby demolition of United.
