Intrigue remains over how City will cope next season without treble-winning captain Ilkay Gundogan, who was a regular source of goals from midfield. Arsenal may have been feeling even more confident of pipping Guardiola and co in 2023/24 on the basis that Gundogan is yet to be properly replaced.
A player of McAtee’s limited experience is far from a like-for-like replacement for the German. But he has shown, by holding his own in pre-season and coming up with a goal against a side of Bayern’s stature, that he can assume greater responsibility this campaign.
Kovacic played a deeper role, sitting alongside Stones as one of the two holders when in possession and as an orthodox central midfielder when out of it. The Croatian was impressive at Chelsea without setting the world alight, but that could all change now he’s at the Etihad.