I watched Man City discover a dazzling selection alternative for Treble chase - and fans will love it

Jeremy Doku has a new position, and with it he could have finally convinced Pep Guardiola where he fits into this Manchester City system.

Doku has always been a different kind of player to his teammates. He will stand up his full-back, attack him, and then do it again the next time he has the ball. He makes things happen, gets fans excited but also carries the increased risk of losing the ball more often. As Guardiola searches for the perfect balance of control with a little bit of chaos going into the run-in, Doku carries too much chaos and not enough control.

Against Newcastle though, he produced his most balanced, disciplined performance of an inconsistent City career so far. And Guardiola recognised it.

ALSO READ: Man City player ratings vs Newcastle

ALSO READ: Kyle Walker backs up Pep Guardiola as Man City normalise brilliance

Doku was involved from the first minute, driving into the box from the left but - all too predictably - running down a blind alley. After an encouraging three goals and six assists from his first 12 outings as a City player, Doku had just one goal from his next 18. When he's not providing the control to outweigh that disappointing return, he's been dropped.

Here, though, he was operating in a different role to simply being a touchline-hugging winger. From the left, he spent as much time inside running through the middle with Phil Foden occupied and Erling Haaland making runs either side. John Stones spoke at Bournemouth of him being the 'spare man' when the opposition go man-to-man, able to create opportunities with the space provided.

Newcastle weren't exactly replicating Bournemouth's marking style, but they were leaving spaces for Doku to exploit. He was the spare man, with Guardiola