Pep Guardiola underlines his perfect Man City mentor status with next prodigy

A Manchester City youngster making their debut has a unique vibe compared to anywhere else in the Premier League.

Take a moment to stop and consider just how good you have to be to get here. These opportunities do not get handed out very often; the ultimate impression has to have been made. Firstly, catch the eye of Pep Guardiola. Then earn his trust. And then prove that you should be in this machine of a team over the other elite talent at the Catalan's disposal.

It's been a 10-year journey for Rico Lewis - the latest boy wonder to still be standing, now setting the Manchester turf alight. This has been Lewis' club since he was a boy and if the early signs are anything to go by, it may well be his for a while longer. Lewis' introduction to centre stage couldn't have been much more enjoyable: substitute appearances in 4-0, 6-0, 5-0 and 4-0 wins over Bournemouth, Nottingham Forest, FC Copenhagen and Southampton.

Also read: Every word from Pep Guardiola ahead of Arsenal clash

And then Lewis, backed and supported by the best in the business, started to tick them off one by one: City's youngest scorer in the Champions League, starts in wins over Chelsea, Liverpool and Leeds United. He kept Joao Cancelo and Kyle Walker out of the team in the first half of the campaign. And Guardiola believes he will be able to play in the No.8 and No.10 positions comfortably. No pressure, kid.

Lewis, though, has not once looked dazzled by the bright lights of the Premier League. This thing is meant to be tough; the Premier League and the expectation that comes with it has chewed up and spat out too many next-big-things to count. It'll do well to even remotely faze City's No.82 - whose ability to take information on board has impressed