Man City's £132m unsung heroes prove summer transfer strategy right

Manchester City's starting XI that won the treble last season was so locked in that there was no room for Phil Foden, Julian Alvarez, Riyad Mahrez or Aymeric Laporte. Even Kyle Walker was booted out in the Champions League final.

Nathan Ake had solved the long-standing left-back issue, Jack Grealish had put a difficult first year behind him to prove invaluable on the left-wing, and Bernardo Silva was a positional maestro on the opposite flank.

This year, however, the names who have been forced out are maybe more surprising. Grealish has struggled for consistency and only started one of the last six games of City's run-in. Similarly, John Stones started one of the last nine games, playing just 77 minutes across three appearances.

ALSO READ: One Man City career might have ended after medal snub on final day

ALSO READ: What Grealish and Haaland did during Man City title celebrations prove Pep Guardiola point

Part of their struggles to rediscover their form from 12 months ago was due to their injury and fitness issues. Guardiola has no room for sentiment and prioritises players in form. That's why Manu Akanji played a key role in last season's treble success and was undroppable this term - starting 15 of the last 16 matches in all competitions, playing 96 per cent of available minutes in that time.

Guardiola had explained Stones' omissions a week earlier at Fulham, pointing to the form of Akanji and Ake as reasons why they deserved to start. There was a hint that Stones needed to show a little more, but the feeling was this was more down to others earning the shirt on merit.

Josko Gvardiol's form on the left of defence also kept Stones out, and Ake on the final day after he was injured. Gvardiol proved himself as the