Four months ago Nathan Ake could have quite easily left Manchester City, yet he now finds himself one of the key players in Pep Guardiola's squad.
On Thursday night Ake put in another strong showing as City returned to competitive action with a thrilling 3-2 win against Liverpool in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup. The Dutch centre-back found himself in the unfamiliar position of scoring the winning goal, but as has been the case this season it was his defensive contributions that impressed supporters and guided his team to victory.
Playing at left-back - although the advanced positioning of Rico Lewis effectively made City's back four a back three - Ake did all the things typical of him this season. He was strong in the air and in the tackle, he anticipated well and he made some crucial interventions and recoveries.
