Rico Lewis comment shows he can solve two midfield problems for Man City this season

"Where I left off last season was a great point. But it's never enough," said Rico Lewis, shortly before his masterclass against Bayern Munich in Tokyo.

The fact that Lewis was so effective for Manchester City in their second pre-season friendly was especially apt as he first came on the radar of Pep Guardiola and fans against the same opponent almost exactly one year before.

12 months (and three days) ago, Lewis came off the bench in a stormy Lambeau Field, Green Bay, and took the game to Bayern. With the game disrupted by an almighty thunderstorm, both sides were more concerned about their flights back to Europe. Lewis came on and wanted to play. He jinked into the area late on and rattled the post, with Guardiola clearly taking note.

A first-team role followed, Guardiola called Lewis integral to their treble success, and even Joao Cancelo had to leave as he couldn't (or didn't want to) compete with the teenager. Now in Tokyo, Lewis was showing his talents as an all-action midfielder, with Bayern again unsure of how to stop him.

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Guardiola was never afraid of throwing Lewis into big scenarios. He made his Champions League debut early on in the season, becoming the youngest player to score on their first start in the competition. He played against Liverpool, Chelsea, Leeds, Tottenham and Arsenal, plus a friendly at the Nou Camp. He ended the season with the treble - a major trophy for every nine appearances.

"I just have to keep going. Trying things I wouldn't try last season, develop my game a bit further," he said before Wednesday's friendly against Bayern. And he did.

Lewis was everywhere in an explicit midfield role in Tokyo, combining