Manchester City have enjoyed an impressive start to the 2022/23 season, which is currently on pause due to the World Cup in Qatar.
The Blues have progressed to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup and City also topped their Champions League group at something of a canter. The only slight blip for Pep Guardiola’s men is their league position.
The champions have dropped points on four occasions in their opening 14 league matches this term (against Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Liverpool and Brentford) and currently trail leaders Arsenal by five points.
It leaves City with work to do when they return after the World Cup break, although they do face Arsenal twice in the second part of the season and a title charge is still very much in their own hands.
There have been some fantastic performances from City in the first half of the season, including big wins against Bournemouth, Nottingham Forest, Copenhagen and Southampton, with Guardiola’s players maintaining their usually impeccably high standards.
With that in mind, we’ve had a look back at the first section of the campaign and rated every player’s performances so far. We’ve included every first-team star who has featured on more than five occasions for City this season, however, this does exclude Kalvin Phillips who has struggled with a long-term shoulder problem.
Here’s how we rated the players…
1. Ederson- 7
So often goes untested in matches but has rarely made mistakes this season. Played particularly well in recent games against Leicester City and Brentford.
2. Ruben Dias- 5
Not played particularly badly, but also not reached anywhere near the heights of the 2020/21 campaign. Dias appears to have slipped down the pecking order at the Etihad.
3. John Stones- 6
A season hampered by injury but the No.5 has played well when called upon. His ability to play a hybrid right-back/centre-back role is key in this team.
4. Nathan Ake- 7
Guardiola recently said the Dutchman doesn’t make mistakes, an indication of his impressive form. Ake has taken his performances to a new level this season and has been City’s best centre-back.