Pep Guardiola found two more players for Man City's most important position vs Liverpool FC

You don't have to cast your memory back too far to remember a time when the thought of John Stones in midfield was a scary one.

Pep Guardiola only trialled Stones in a defensive midfield role on one or two occasions in 2018 for Manchester City, taking up his ability to play in front of the back line but ultimately shelving the experiment for another four years. With Fernandinho, Ilkay Gundogan and then Rodri, Guardiola had enough options in midfield to allow Stones to concentrate on being a centre-back.

Now Stones has overcome his off-field problems to become one of City's most reliable players, Guardiola is ready to trust him again in midfield. Saturday is not the first time he's inverted alongside Rodri from right-back, but it was certainly the most effective performance from the number five.

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Whether it's Joao Cancelo, Rico Lewis, or Kyle Walker, Guardiola has favoured one of his full-backs moving into the midfield in possession to facilitate a back three. Again, this is not new information, and it's a credit to the current City squad that so many players are capable of doing a role with complex tactical and positional requirements.

Eight of Stones' appearances this season have come from right-back, partly required due to Cancelo's departure and Walker's injury before the World Cup. Even when Walker has returned, Stones has been picked ahead of the number two, and he earned praise on Saturday for his performance to push up alongside Rodri and help win a midfield battle that threatened to swing in Liverpool's advantage in the early stages at the weekend.

It was Stones' most defined outing as a defensive midfielder