It has often been forgotten over the past two seasons just how good John Stones is as a player when fit. At his best, the injury-prone centre-back is a vital player for Manchester City. The problem

Without Rodri, City struggled to defend transitions last season while their ball progression suffered. They had no direct replacement for the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, with Ilkay Gundogan, Mateo Kovacic, Bernardo Silva, and January signing Nico Gonzalez deputising for him without much success.

Elsewhere, Aston Villa's pre-season preparations continued with a 3-1 defeat at Marseille. Mason Greenwood and John McGinn exchanged goals before the break, before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang came off t