Gvardiol: The Key Player Behind Manchester City's Success

Josko Gvardiol is starting to look like himself again – and Manchester City are riding the wave.

A month ago, they were brushed aside 3-0 by Arsenal in the Community Shield. Since then, Enzo Maresca’s side have rattled off six straight wins in all competitions, conceding just twice in their first four Premier League matches. At the heart of that defensive steel, but hugging the touchline rather than patrolling the middle, stands Gvardiol.

Ruben Dias, the new captain, and England international Marc Guehi are knitting together a commanding partnership in central defence. So Maresca has pushed Gvardiol to left-back. The Croatian hasn’t just accepted it. He’s taken ownership of the role.

On Sunday, City host Sunderland at Etihad Stadium (14:00 BST), a fixture Maresca has already labelled their “toughest” of the season “because of how good they are”. Beat the Black Cats and City keep the perfect record intact – and Gvardiol heads off with Croatia on Nations League duty against England and Spain with momentum behind him after a bruising summer World Cup exit at the last-32 stage.

From broken leg to first name on the teamsheet

Maresca had a puzzle to solve. With Dias, Guehi and other high-level options in the middle, he needed a way to fit a £77m defender – the second most expensive in history behind Harry Maguire – into a settled back line.

Last season, that question barely arose. Gvardiol’s campaign was ripped apart by a broken leg that sidelined him for five months. In his absence, Nico O’Reilly filled in at left-back, learning a new position on the fly.

Now the roles have flipped. O’Reilly, 21, finds himself on the bench, reassured by Maresca that chances will come in his natural midfield role. Gvardiol has reclaimed the flank and is driving it like a motorway lane.

Those around him describe him as a “soldier”: he takes the role he’s given, gets on with it, and delivers. He is understood to be satisfied with Maresca’s decision and believes his time in England has already sharpened his tactical understanding of the game.

In the summer, he warned it would take “at least a year before everything heals inside”. That clock has almost run down. He is now thought to be pain-free and back at full match fitness, and it shows.

Left-back burden, left-back freedom

Gvardiol has always been versatile. Since arriving from RB Leipzig in 2023, he has lined up both at centre-back and left-back for City. But this version of him on the flank feels different.

Those close to him say he sees left-back as more physically demanding than playing in the middle. More running, more sprints, more duels. He enjoys it. The role gives him licence to surge forward, step into shooting positions and turn defence into chaos for the opposition.

The numbers back up the eye test. On the opening weekend against Bournemouth, he arrived late in the box to score an injury-time winner and also produced two assists. One of those came in the derby at Old Trafford, teeing up Erling Haaland’s controversial clincher in the win over Manchester United.

He is not just bombing on for show. His attacking threat hasn’t diluted his core job.

Old Trafford statement and Premier League dominance

If there was one game that underlined his current level, it came at Old Trafford last Sunday. City went down to 10 men after Phil Foden’s red card in the 23rd minute and still emerged with a clean sheet and an “unlikely” victory on enemy turf.

Gvardiol’s duel with Bryan Mbeumo became a key battle. He won nine of his 11 duels – more than anyone else on the pitch – and made four tackles, the highest total of any City player on the day. He locked down his flank and still found energy to step out when City broke forward.

Stretch the lens to the whole league and his impact looks even more impressive. He currently ranks seventh for total duels won among all Premier League players and sits inside the top 10 for tackles made. That blend of aggression and timing is precisely why Maresca trusts him in such a demanding hybrid role.

The knock-on effect is obvious. Algeria international Rayan Ait-Nouri, signed from Wolves last summer as a specialist left-back, has barely had a chance in his natural position. Maresca has pushed him further up the pitch instead, such is Gvardiol’s grip on the role.

He did have a rough night in Porto in the Champions League, booked in the first half and substituted early in the second. But inside the club it has been viewed as a one-off, not a warning sign.

Long-term commitment, short-term certainty

If there were any doubts about his happiness in Manchester, Gvardiol ended them in the summer. He signed a new five-year contract, rejecting interest from Bayern Munich and Barcelona to commit his prime years to City.

He spoke of being “happy” to extend his stay and made it clear that under Maresca “everyone has to fight for their position, no-one is secure”. It is a ruthless message, but one that fits his own mentality.

Right now, though, his place looks as secure as anyone’s. A fully fit, tactically sharper Gvardiol, storming up and down the left, has become one of the defining images of City’s start to the season.

If he keeps this level, the only real battle left might be for the opponents trying to find a way past him.