FA Cup final tactic showed Man City a wildcard replacement if Ilkay Gundogan leaves

John Stones won't want the season to end. He's fought his way back into the Manchester City side, even with Nathan Ake and Manu Akanji earning deserved runs in the side, and is now evolving into a free-roaming midfielder as the season draws to its conclusion. Against Bayern Munich Stones was the inverted full-back, and he was effectively a box-to-box midfielder against Real Madrid. In the FA Cup final vs Manchester United, Stones barely set foot in the defence, instead operating next to Rodri and regularly popping up on the edge of the box.

Stones' footwork under pressure regularly got City out of tight spaces, and he linked up well with Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva on the right. With Ilkay Gundogan's future still up in the air, Stones is offering a midfield solution for City that would mean they don't have to spend a penny.

Even if Stones does stay as a defender next season, his versatility will be a weapon for the Blues if Gundogan (and maybe Bernardo) end up leaving.

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Even though Stefan Ortega is City's 'FA Cup goalkeeper', eyebrows were still raised when Pep Guardiola confidently stated that the German would start the final against United. On the one hand, it keeps squad morale happy, and there is value in keeping the second-choice goalkeeper motivated until the end of the season. On the other, it's an almighty risk not to play your best goalkeeper for a major final against your biggest rivals.

10 seconds in, though, Ortega launched a dangerous ball up to Erling Haaland, who flicked the ball on, and when it came off a United head, Gundogan volleyed City into dreamland. Direct, yes, but a good example of the improvements Ortega has made with his feet.

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