Marc Guéhi

Key strength: Aerial dominance

Ball-playing defender

As Manchester City breathe down the necks of league leaders from 2nd place, Pep Guardiola has discovered an unlikely offensive weapon at the heart of his defense. Marc Guéhi, the 25-year-old England international, is redefining what it means to be a modern centre-back—4 goals and 4 assists from the backline are numbers that shame most attacking midfielders, let alone defenders. With an astonishing 3,712 minutes across 44 appearances this season, the £23m-valued defender has become utterly indispensable to City's title charge. Guéhi operates as a left-sided ball-playing centre-half whose 70-rated defending and aerial dominance provide the foundation, yet it's his progressive carries into midfield that transform him into an auxiliary playmaker. He's achieved all this while maintaining remarkable discipline—just 5 yellow cards across a grueling campaign. In a squad boasting talents like Reijnders (85), Marmoush (85), and Gvardiol (78), Guéhi has carved out his own identity: a defender who attacks, a leader who creates. With Europe's elite reportedly circling for his signature, City may soon face their toughest defensive battle yet—keeping hold of their revolutionary No. 15.