Few teams can make wholesale changes to their side in a must-win game and still dominate proceedings. When you have a player like Ilkay Gundogan, though, it's a far easier task.
Replacing Rodri, who didn't start a Premier League match for the first time in 25 games, Gundogan dropped into defensive midfield against Leeds like he'd never been away, setting the tempo and keeping Manchester City ticking.
And it was Gundogan who popped up on the edge of the box, twice, to find both bottom corners and set City on their way to another three points. They are three wins away from being crowned Premier League champions again, and this was another procession on coronation day.
ALSO READ: Man City player ratings vs Leeds as Gundogan good but Haaland poor
Captain Gundogan gave a passionate speech in the City huddle on the pitch before kick-off, and did the talking with his feet for the following 90 minutes. His positioning allowed Kevin De Bruyne and Julian Alvarez to roam ahead of him, and whenever Leeds tried to get out of their own box, he was well-placed to cut them off.
Not content with simply dictating play, the German cleverly made his way to the edge of the box to curl City ahead with a lovely finish from Riyad Mahrez's cutback, albeit with no defender near him at all.
If that was bad defending, it was criminal from Leeds to allow Gundogan to jog into the same area, without challenge, and this time he found the opposite corner from another Mahrez cross. The finishes were as clinical as the defending was abysmal.
This is the period of the season when Guardiola turns to Gundogan for his experience and quality. It's no coincidence that Gundogan starts in the big games - like against Bayern Munich and Arsenal - along with the experienced group of Rodri, Bernardo Silva and De Bruyne.
When Guardiola wants to make changes, Gundogan is reliable and ensures standards are high. When he wants experience and cool heads, Gundogan is picked again. Is it a coincidence that Gundogan has started 16 of City's 20-game unbeaten run, with two of those missed games coming in the FA Cup against Championship opposition?
Guardiola pointedly ignored Gundogan after his 94th-minute substitution, with his missed penalty then giving Leeds the chance to set up a needlessly-nervy ending. The manager had berated Erling Haaland for not taking the ball off Gundogan to kill the game, with that the only negative note on an otherwise good performance.
Still, this could have been Gundogan's penultimate Premier League appearance at the Etihad for City and a hat-trick would be a memorable sign-off to a brilliant period at the club. Out of contract in the summer, Gundogan's contract situation is still unresolved, and is becoming more significant with every game.
Reports suggest that Jude Bellingham may be heading to Madrid rather than Manchester, and Guardiola hardly gave Kalvin Phillips a vote of confidence in regards to playing a more important role next season. As it stands, there is no obvious successor to Gundogan if he was to leave.
When Gundogan is playing as influential a role as he is doing currently, a contract extension seems a no-brainer for City.
READ NEXT
- Follow the latest City news, views and analysis
City burst Sam Allardyce bubble despite leaving Pep Guardiola furious
Sam Allardyce praises Leeds for forcing City to 'run down the clock'
'He has to earn it' - Pep Guardiola's reality check for Kalvin Phillips
Erling Haaland told what he must do to become Premier League great
