How Man City should line up for the 2023-24 season: Phil Foden in midfield and Josko Gvardiol over Nathan Ake

There were times during last season when fans wondered whether Ederson was still worthy of being City's No.1. He was often beaten with the first proper shot he faced and he gifted a goal to Tottenham in the epic 4-2 win in January. He also faced much fiercer competition from Stefan Ortega than from his previous deputy, Zack Steffen.

However, the Brazilian gave one of the best performances of his City career in the Champions League final, showing great reflexes to thwart Lautaro Martinez, Robin Gosens and Romelu Lukaku in Istanbul. His display settled the argument and he should remain top choice between the posts.

Rumours of Kyle Walker's demise turned out to be greatly exaggerated. After finding himself on the fringes of the team after the World Cup and being publicly criticised by Guardiola, the right-back fought his way back into the line up at a crucial stage of the campaign.

He proved once more that few players can match him when it comes to one-v-one defending, and when he hinted at wanting to leave and join Bayern Munich, City urged him to reconsider. Walker has played with more freedom in pre-season and looks like he could get forward a lot more in the coming campaign.

In an ever-changing back-line, Ruben Dias was the one constant for Guardiola last season, and after an inconsistent start, he came into his own around the new year.

Dias' physical strengths and leadership qualities make him one of the cornerstones of City's starting XI and he should remain one of the first names on the teamsheet this season.

Gvardiol has all the attributes for Guardiola's new vision of defending and should take little time to adapt to the Premier League. Although he played as a centre-back for RB Leipzig, he loves to get forward, as he did for Croatia in the World Cup, and should be an asset in both penalty areas.

His primary task will be defending, but with a little communication with John Stones, the 21-year-old should be able to do his fair share of attacking down the left flank.

Rodri played more minutes than any other outfield player last season and was one of City's top-three performers throughout the campaign alongside De Bruyne and Erling Haaland. So often the unsung hero, it was fitting that it was the Spaniard who scored City's only goal in the Champions League final.

He might need a bit more rest in the coming campaign, but there is no question that Rodri is still a nailed-on starter and will be anchoring the midfield once more.

Stones was the revelation of last season after being used in a hybrid role, shuttling between midfield and defence. Dubbed the 'Barnsley Beckenbauer', he saved his best performance for the Champions League final.

The arrival of Kovacic could see Stones returning to his traditional role at centre-back at times, with the Croatian accompanying Rodri in the double-pivot in midfield instead, as happened in the Community Shield.

Stones, however, has already mastered the role and City were at their best when he was roaming the midfield in the latter three months of the season. He should be first choice, with Kovacic stepping in when he needs a rest.

It looks as if City have won the battle to keep Bernardo Silva after Barcelona failed to come up with a decent offer. And they must be grateful to have him after already parting with two experienced and influential players in Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez.

Bernardo should be encouraged to play further forward and create more chances to fill the goalscoring void left by the departing duo.

Foden was only a substitute for the latter half of last season, first being dislodged from his usual role as a left forward by Jack Grealish, then having to contend with injuries and later appendicitis. But after coming off the bench for the injured De Bruyne in the Champions League final, he showed his enduring qualities.

With Gundogan gone, taking with him his ability to arrive in the box and score crucial goals, there is a vacancy in midfield which Foden can move into. And he is keen to make the switch.

"It’s a role where there’s a lot more to my game,” Foden said in pre-season “I’d be able to show people a lot more of what I can do. I’d be on the ball more, always involved. I think there’s a lot more responsibility in that role.”

De Bruyne might have to start the first couple of matches from the bench after tearing his hamstring in the Champions League final and he looked far from peak fitness in the Community Shield.

But once he feels right again, he will be expected to pick up where he left off last season, when he made an incredible 31 assists in addition to scoring 10 times in all competitions. He should also be able to rekindle his excellent understanding with Haaland.

After a difficult first season, Grealish assimilated into the City team and turned into exactly the player Guardiola wanted him to be. He had to temper some of his usual tendencies and become more of a team player, sacrificing his output in the process.

As with Bernardo, Gundogan and Mahrez's departures should give him more of a licence to improve on his goal tally from last season (five in all competitions).

Could Haaland really improve on the 36 Premier League goals he scored last season? The answer is clearly yes. The Norwegian improves with each season and no one expected him to be able to maintain his previous strike rate in the Premier League.

He ended up having his best-ever season, and although defences will be wiser this time around, so will the striker, who has an insatiable hunger for self improvement. Just look at how, speaking to CBS Sport pundits minutes after winning the Champions League final, he asked Thierry Henry for advice on how he could be even better.

He may have not had the best game in the Community Shield against Arsenal, but the same was true last year, when he drew a blank in defeat to Liverpool. He responded by scoring twice on his Premier League debut at West Ham. Burnley have been warned...