Gvardiol reaches 100 City appearances | OneFootball

Josko Gvardiol will play his 100th match for City in our Premier League clash with Arsenal.

The Croatian defender arrived in the summer of 2023 and instantly became a hit with Pep Guardiola, his team-mates and the Etihad faithful.

After 42 appearances and a Premier League medal in his first season, he then played 55 times last term – more than anyone else in our squad – and beat Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland to the Etihad Player of the Season award.

Just 21 when he joined, Gvardiol has demonstrated experience beyond his years from the first moment he moved to Manchester.

Having shone predominantly at centre-back for Croatia and RB Leipzig, he has made the majority of his appearances for City in an attacking left-back role.

That has seen him contribute significantly at the top end of the pitch in addition to his defensive work, with 11 goals and five assists so far.

Several of those strikes have been stunning efforts too, with Gvardiol claiming the Nissan Goal of the Month award on two occasions.

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None of that should detract from his ability in defence, whether one-v-one against a winger or as part of a backline pushing high up the pitch.

He enjoyed a run of games at the heart of the defence in the second half of 2024/25, forming a solid bond with Ruben Dias.

Now, with specialist full-back Rayan Ait-Nouri joining in the summer, Gvardiol will be ready to be flexible with where he is used by Guardiola.

While competition for places remains incredibly high, there’s no doubt Gvardiol figures at the forefront of his manager’s thoughts.

Congratulations to Josko on this landmark in his Manchester City career.