Nathan Ake’s City career: Season-by-season breakdown | OneFootball

Nathan Ake has been a crucial part of our sustained success during his six years at City.

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Gallery: Ake’s City career in pictures

The Dutch defender arrived in the summer of 2020 from Bournemouth and, fitness allowing, has been a reliable and versatile part of Pep Guardiola’s plans.

With 12 major honours over those six years, including historic achievements such as a continental Treble and a record four Premier Leagues in a row, Ake’s place in City’s history is secured.

Here we’ll a look at each of Ake’s six seasons at the Etihad…

2020/21

Appearances: 13

Goals: 1

Trophies: Premier League, League Cup

A hamstring injury ruined the middle of Ake’s first season at City, after a promising start with three starts in the first four games.

However, he was unavailable from early November until April – meaning all he could manage was 10 Premier League games, two Champions League outings and one in the League Cup.

That was enough to earn himself a medal in both the Premier League and League Cup though.  

2021/22

Appearances: 27

Goals: 3

Trophies: Premier League

Having missed much of the previous term through injury, the now fit-again Ake had to watch much of the 2021/22 season from the bench.

Guardiola elected for a fairly settled back four of Joao Cancelo, Aymeric Laporte, Ruben Dias and Kyle Walker – meaning the likes of Ake, John Stones and Oleksandr Zinchenko filled in when they could.

Men's Team

Nathan Ake: A True City Gent  

Ake still managed 14 games in the Premier League as well as six Champions League appearances and all five of our games in the FA Cup.

He also rediscovered the goalscoring edge to his game that he’d had with Bournemouth, finding the net against RB Leipzig and in both Premier League meetings with Leeds.

2022/23

Appearances: 41

Goals: 3

Trophies: Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League

After spending the first half of the 2022/23 season rotated in and out of the team, Ake eventually settled as the first-choice left-back around the turn of the year in place of Joao Cancelo.

15 games in a row in the Premier League followed, as well as all of the Champions League knockout ties before another hamstring injury saw him miss semi-finals with Real Madrid and Sheffield United.

A late cameo in the FA Cup final was enough to convince Pep that is first choice at left-back was fit to start the Champions League final and he did not let his boss down, putting in a sterling display.

Guardiola’s move to four physically imposing players across his backline in the second half of that season was a large part of the reason for all the subsequent success and Ake’s versatility to defend centrally or one-v-one on the wing was essential.

Goals in 2022/23 came against Liverpool in the League Cup, Arsenal in the FA Cup and West Ham in the league, with the cushioned finish against the Gunners undoubtedly the standout.

2023/24

Appearances: 44

Goals: 3

Trophies: UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, Premier League

In 2023/24, Ake picked up from where he left off by starring at full-back and willingly stepping inside when required and as a fellow defender pushed into midfield.

Other than a brief calf injury, it was a full and consistent season across all competitions.

Josko Gvardiol’s arrival meant more appearances at the heart of the defence instead for Ake, with the Croatian charged with entering attacking areas more than the No. 6 had been.

He totalled 29 Premier League appearances – his most in a season at City – as we lifted a record fourth Premier League title.

Goals came against Fulham and Bournemouth in the league as well as a crucial late winner at Spurs in the FA Cup.

2024/25

Appearances: 20

Goals: 0

Trophies: Community Shield

A cameo appearance in the Community Shield was a promising start to a season that proved to be a frustrating one for Ake and the whole club.

Three separate injuries followed as he managed just 10 Premier League games before returning in time for the summer’s FIFA Club World Cup, where he played twice.

2025/26

Appearances: 32

Goals: 0

Trophies: Carabao Cup, FA Cup

Ake is a man for the big occasion and this summed up his 2025/26 campaign perfectly.

Impressive whenever donning the sky blue shirt, he excelled at Wembley twice when it mattered most.

First, he was a surprise starter for Pep Guardiola’s men in the Carabao Cup final but played a starring role at the back alongside Abdukodir Khusanov as Arsenal were defeated in the showpiece.

He then again slotted in perfectly into centre defence with John Stones in the FA Cup success over Southampton, paving the way for our final triumph over Chelsea as the Dutchman bade farewell to the Club with two more major honours.