With each passing game it is becoming ever-more apparent just how good of a bargain Manchester City got for themselves when signing Manuel Akanji.
When it became clear that Nathan Ake would be staying at City over the summer the Blues parked plans to sign a new centre-back. Pep Guardiola was more than happy to go into the new season with the quartet of central defenders that served him so well over the previous two title-winning seasons.
But when Ake limped off in the early stages of the 3-3 draw with Newcastle back in August, joining Aymeric Laporte in the sidelines, City suddenly had only two fit senior options. Knowing John Stones' injury history - something Guardiola would later reference when discussing the signing of Akanji - two could easily have become one.
