City’s Croatian defender has quietly settled into his role at the world champions

Manchester City’s Croatian defender Josko Gvardiol has quietly settled into his role in Pep Guardiola’s squad. While other players get the headlines the work of the City defender has largely gone under the radar.

Playing primarily at left-back the Croatian defender has gone about his business with a minimal amount of fuss. With Manchester City so dominant in possession it has allowed Gvardiol to show his tremendous range of passing ability. The passing range of the defender was well-known before he arrived from RB Leipzig last summer. He has been able to show that side of his game in a team built to dominate possession.

He has also struck up a good partnership on City’s left-hand side in attack with Jack Grealish. The ability of the Croatian international to overlap on his side’s left hand has allowed the England international to drift centrally. It has seen the treble winners look much more like themselves in recent games in successive Premier League wins over Everton and Sheffield United.

There has also been another positive from Gvardiol slotting in at left-back. It has allowed Nathan Ake to shift into the centre of the City defence. The Dutch defender has arguably been his side’s most consistent defender this season alongside Manuel Akanji. With Gvardiol slotting into the lineup Ake has been allowed to do what he does best. It does appear with John Stones injury issues this season that the best version of Pep Guardiola’s defence would include both Gvardiol and Ake.

As the season develops and Gvardiol becomes more settled into the treble winner’s system we should see even more from the Croatian defender. But he has settled in well into life at Manchester City so far.