Six of the best: Manchester City’s mainstays who have gone distance
Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden congratulate Raheem Sterling on scoring against Tottenham in 2017. Photograph: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
It takes a lot for Pep Guardiola to trust unconditionally, so staying the course with the Manchester City manager is not a straightforward business. Despite the constant trophies gleaming in the Etihad cabinet, decorated players have come and gone – but six have the chance of securing a sixth Premier League title alongside Guardiola on Sunday afternoon.
Ederson, Kyle Walker, John Stones, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden have set the tone for much of the club’s success. A victory over West Ham will guarantee each a sixth winner’s medal, putting them on par with David Beckham and Phil Neville. De Bruyne was already a City first-teamer when Guardiola arrived in Manchester in 2016, while Foden was making headway in the academy. The other four were carefully selected by the club’s hierarchy and Guardiola.
In Tuesday’s crucial match at Tottenham, five of the six started. They have been there, done that and donned T-shirts embossed with the word “Champions”. Their experience counts for as much as their quality, knowing how to get through difficult moments. De Bruyne stepped up in the crucial moment to provide the run that Silva knew instinctively before crossing to Erling Haaland for the opener, the Norwegian, like all his colleagues knowing exactly where it would end up.
Guardiola has not kept these six by accident, it is because they have proven themselves the best at adapting to the changing demands at City, setting the tone as they do so. The manager knows the continuous need to evolve is important to stay ahead of opponents. Walker has been required to play as a marauder up and down the flank, someone that moves into midfield and, most importantly, the quickest line of defence.
Last season Walker was not a regular but he recovered from his difficulties to show he is integral and was named club captain by his teammates in the summer, indicating the respect he commands at the Etihad. When Bayern Munich showed their interest, despite Walker’s quieter campaign, Guardiola was insistent he stayed, needing the knowledge he provides in the dressing room, eventually convincing the defender to sign a new contract, and he has been pivotal once more.
Ederson, the man at the base, has to be most reliable because goalkeepers’ errors are highlighted more. The Brazilian rarely makes them and maintains his role of setting the tempo at the back, while giving assurance to his colleagues. On Sunday he will be in the stands, though, replaced by David Ortega because of the injury sustained at Tottenham.
It often takes a season to understand the demands of playing for a club challenging for four trophies. Jack Grealish needed time, Rodri struggled in his first season and Josko Gvardiol took months to adapt – but all have been allowed to flourish by those around them getting on with jobs they know all too well.
De Bruyne has the advantage of being better than everyone but adds a relentless attitude to his honed talent, Silva is a cerebral midfielder who has played everywhere from false 9 to defensive midfield to left-back. He might not be an expert at any of the three positions but it indicates what the manager thinks of him.
Stones shows there is always a way back; in 2019-20 it looked as if his City career was on the ropes, the defender making 16 Premier League appearances as he lost form before being reinvented as the hybrid centre-back/midfielder.
Foden was always likely to be the most malleable of Guardiola’s charges and, as a Stockport lad, can offer a different perspective. Guardiola’s teams have always had a local flavour but at City there are few options in the ranks. After he made his debut at 16, City have worked tirelessly with Foden to mould him into the player his talent demands, picking up a plethora of trophies and individual awards along the way to give others something to aspire to. It is almost certain Foden will outlast Guardiola and the other five, which will bring greater responsibility, but he relishes it.
De Bruyne says: “The most important person is Pep. The team always takes the responsibility because there’s moments where Pep cannot help us, and we have to do it on the pitch. He created this team, and the team responds to him. It works together.”
Adapt to thrive is the key to City’s success. If they triumph on Sunday, there will be six players, winning their sixth titles to become the joint-sixth most successful players in Premier League history. A case of better the Blues you know for Guardiola.