Gvardiol’s attacking capabilities do not take away from his defensive prowess.
At Old Trafford last Sunday, he helped City to an unlikely victory with a defiant clean sheet after being reduced to 10 men following Phil Foden’s 23rd-minute red card.
Gvardiol kept Bryan Mbeumo in check for large parts of the contest, winning nine of his 11 duels – no player on the pitch managed more – and contested four tackles, a match-high of any City player.
In all, he has won the seventh most duels of any Premier League player this term, while he also ranks in the top 10 for most tackles made by anyone in the top flight.
That has meant Algeria international Rayan Ait-Nouri, signed at left-back last summer from Wolves, can’t get a look-in in his natural position and has instead been used further up the pitch by Maresca.
Gvardiol had a tricky game at Porto in the Champions League tie, getting booked in the first half and then substituted early in the second, but it appeared to be an off-day rather than something more worrying.
During the summer he committed his long-term future to City by signing a new five-year deal, despite interest from Bayern Munich and Barcelona.
The defender said he was “happy” to extend his stay at Etihad Stadium and under Maresca “everyone has to fight for their position, no-one is secure”.
Gvardiol, though, will be assured of his place if he continues his bright start.
