Fernandinho City catalyst

– Among a dazzling array of midfield options, it is the often unheralded Fernandinho (above) who Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has relied on most in another stunning start to the season for the Premier League champions.

The Brazilian faces old club Shakhtar Donetsk tonight as City seek to make amends from the only blip of their campaign so far, a shock 2-1 defeat to Lyon in their last Champions League home game.

If any reminder was needed over Guardiola’s influence, he was banned from the touchline that night.

Since his return, City have won nine and drawn one, a 0-0 stalemate at Liverpool, of their last 10 games, scoring 29 goals and conceding just two in the process.

Although fulsome in his praise of the maturing centreback pairing Aymeric Laporte and John Stones, Guardiola’s defensive philosophy is dependent on a team effort to keep the ball as far away from City’s goal as possible.

“Always we try to convince our players as far away the ball is from our goal, we are safe. It’s much, much better. The moment the ball is around our box, anything can happen,” said Guardiola this week.

“In 10 years I was always concerned, always focused, maybe more than any other thing, in defending well.”

Guardiola knows very well the dual demands of Fernandinho’s role having won the European Cup in his days as a player in the same position for Barcelona.

Fernandinho received arguably the highest praise from his manager when he claimed even Guardiola the player couldn’t force his way into the current City juggernaut given his form. –

Manchester