Player ratings for Manchester City’s 2022-23 Premier League title winners

Close to flawless. Again. The Brazilian is the unassuming star of City’s backline who, under pressure, initiates attacks by coolly tapping the ball short, or has the vision to launch a 50-yard hail mary into Erling Haaland. Can be dominant in the air and has panther-like reflexes when required. 9

An interesting season for a defender who became Pep Guardiola’s de facto team weather vane. “Kyle is back,” said the manager of his attitude in training in February before next month dropping him, later explaining this was because “he cannot do it” – function as the inverted defender-midfielder. Nathan Aké’s injury allowed a way back and Walker is again firmly in favour. 8

The youngster had a sole Football League Trophy appearance in October 2022 on the CV before he became, to paraphrase Guardiola, vital to City’s three-peat triumph, rejuvenating the manager and the more gnarled squad members via the youngster’s “wow” reaction to being part of the title tilt. The way Lewis smoothly operated as Guardiola’s “Philipp Lahm” defender-midfielder hybrid was, for an 18-year-old, staggering. 9

In a fallout with Guardiola there is only going to be one winner and it was not a defender who had a claim to be one of the brightest of stars in City’s glittering firmament. Cue the 28-year-old being loaned to Bayern Munich and this not backfiring on the manager. 6

A first choice last season after being out of favour the previous term, this season his unwanted game of defensive musical chairs with John Stones found him with no regular place in the XI. The reasons: Stones’s playmaking talents and Nathan Aké’s and Manuel Akanji’s ability in duels. 7

Dias is a Guardiola favourite because his cold-eyed focus epitomises the