Nathan Ake looked to be on the brink of leaving Manchester City in the summer, but a late turnaround saw him enter his third season with the Blues.
He’s found consistent game time hard to come by at the Etihad, having to step back for the likes of Aymeric Laporte, Ruben Dias and John Stones. His own injury problems haven’t helped and Manuel Akanji’s deadline day arrival looked ominous for the Dutchman.
But it’s precisely the setbacks Pep Guardiola has endured in defence that have allowed Ake’s summer decision to be proven right. His manager’s philosophy of retaining players in his line-up who haven’t let him down has seen Ake play in four of the last five Premier League games, starting and playing the whole 90 minutes in the last three.
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He also put in a stellar display in the 2-1 Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund and he can hardly be blamed for the loss to Liverpool. The defender’s ability to play at left-back has certainly helped, playing there twice this season despite the acquisition of Sergio Gomez.
It’s contributed to him being given his first real consistent run in the City side since his arrival, and it’s fully deserved. Few expected Ake to be used so frequently at the start of the season and maybe neither did the player himself.
But he has stepped up to the plate when needed, keeping four clean sheets in nine outings. How long this run will continue is unknown. With Dias, Stones and Laporte itching for minutes, he is only a mistake or poor performance away from being dropped.
But for now, he has earned the right to bask in his well-earned starter’s status ahead of what could be a busy World Cup for the 27-year-old in Qatar next month.
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