Josko Gvardiol is making a mockery of Man United flop and silencing Man City spending critics

Josko Gvardiol became Manchester City's second-most expensive signing in the summer, costing an eye-watering £77m from RB Leipzig. It felt a remarkably high price to play for someone so inexperienced, but City were confident enough to declare him a signing for the next decade.

Just 39 games later, and that record fee for a City defensive signing looks an absolute bargain. Especially if he plays like this for another nine seasons.

It took Gvardiol 33 games to register his first goal in sky Blue as he bent in a beauty at the Bernabeu. Including that game, he now has five goals in seven thanks to his wonderful solo effort at Craven Cottage and second half finish at the back post. Maybe he was just giving his teammates a head-start.

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For a centre-back playing out of position at left-back to be in such a vein of scoring form shows how he has adapted to Pep Guardiola's demands in such a quick period of time. It's clicking for him at the perfect moment, and it feels locked in that he will start the remaining three games of the season - especially with Nathan Ake hobbling off at Fulham.

Even with Ake in competition, Gvardiol is the form man at left-back. If he started this run earlier, he'd be in contention for City's Player of the Season conversation. Playing a one-two with Kevin De Bruyne, Gvardiol glided inside and finished past Bernd Leno like Erling Haaland in full flow.

His goals have hardly been irrelevant either. His strike against Luton was the fifth in a 5-1 win, but his goal at Real Madrid secured a draw, and he put City