Josko Gvardiol

Gvardiol's conversion from full back to centre back left him with a pace advantage over almost every defender he lines up alongside, and City lean on that speed to play a high line without much fear of being caught out. He is also comfortable stepping out of defence with the ball at his feet, a habit carried over from his years further forward, letting him break a press instead of simply clearing it. In the air he competes well against strikers used to bullying smaller centre backs.

The balancing act is whether his instinct to attack space, honed as a full back, ever pulls him out of position when a patient defensive read is needed instead. A centre back who thinks like a full back sometimes steps forward when the situation calls for patience. Watch how he reacts when recovery speed alone will not fix a positioning mistake.