Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva two of Pep Guardiola’s four post-Spurs genius Man City tweaks

This weekend provides a particular moment for reflection that comes around in every football season.

The return matches from the opening weekend fixtures give us an opportunity to look at how much things have changed for our clubs and rivals, along with just how hilariously wrong all our predictions were.

In fairness, good luck to anyone who tried to forecast anything off the back of Tottenham 1-0 Manchester City on a sunkissed August day last year.

Pep Guardiola’s side missed a host of early chances before putting in a generally lacklustre display. Was there a Porto hangover? This team surely wouldn’t be able to mount a title challenge - certainly not without a striker!

Harry Kane dominated proceedings despite not being involved for Spurs, his attempts to engineer a move to City falling way short of coming to fruition.

This was the start of a bold new era under Nuno Espirito Santo for the north Londoners, while the man who will probably be named City’s player of the season looked like he had maybe played his last game for the club.

Here, we look at what Guardiola managed to sift out of the nonsense to put the Blues back on the path to glory. Honestly, the only thing that makes sense about that afternoon now is the fact that Son Heung-min scored the winner, because of course he did.

A new role for Jack

Amid all the Kane talk, there was also plenty of focus on the England Euro 2020 hero who City actually managed to sign.

Jack Grealish was probably the visitors’ best player on the day, providing a handful of eye-catching moments as he roved from central midfield as one of two number eights alongside Ilkay Gundogan.

Yet it remains the last time Grealish has started a game in that position for City, with Guardiola