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Manchester City emphatically saw off Arsenal's challenge in the Carabao Cup final last night, giving Pep Guardiola his first trophy as the team's manager. It's almost 10 years since Sheikh Mansour arrived at the club and completely transformed them from Manchester United's quiet neighbours into perennial trophy hunters. The Carabao Cup triumph was the 7th win during the Mansour regime, a very good total for a club who had forgotten what it was like to win titles.
Much has been made of Guardiola's astounding spending spree since joining last season - he's now spent more on transfers than Arsene Wenger has in his whole time at Arsenal - but it was an excellent sight to see the names of the goalscorers in the 3-0 win: Sergio Aguero, Vincent Company, and David Silva are unquestionably City legends, having been there long before Guardiola arrived, and are vital parts of the tapestry of City's recent successes.
The talent around them in the team may be new, but they remain loyal to City's blueprint for the future. To celebrate this fact, here's a look at the 5 best Manchester City players to have played in the Sheikh Mansour era so far.
#5 Kevin De Bruyne
He may not have been the star yesterday but De Bruyne has simply been one of the best players in world football this season. His manager said recently that he thought he could even challenge Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for the Ballon d'Or - high praise that is not without merit. A complete midfielder, the Belgian can control a football game like few others, dictating the play with his passing and running. He has 11 goals this season and many more assists; only] Liverpool's Mohamed Salah comes close to rivalling him for the EPL player of the year award.
He joined City in 2015 and has been their main playmaker ever since. When De Bruyne plays at his best, so do the team. City has been spoiled for creative choices this season since Guardiola pushed De Bruyne and the diminutive David Silva in a midfield three, allowing them both to freely move around the centre of the pitch and connect with their teammates. Neither have got in the way of the other and stifled their play, and both are enjoying incredibly strong campaigns because of it.
De Bruyne may deem himself unlucky to be only 5th on this list but it's a result of his shorter career at the club so far: his ability is immense but other City players have been performing to a high level for a longer time and have the trophy haul to show for it.
#4 Yaya Toure
The Ivorian icon has found playing time limited this season but for 7 campaigns from 2010/2011, Toure was often an unstoppable force in City's midfield. He was the most powerful and overwhelming central midfielder since Patrick Vieira terrorized the EPL for Arsenal and City just weren't the same team with him missing.
It was Toure's goal that decided the 2011 FA Cup final against Stoke City, securing the first trophy of the Sheikh Mansour era; it was his unbelievable 20 league goals that helped City pip Liverpool to the 2014 league title. Toure was often accused by fans and the media of not caring, not being interested in his team's fortunes, but when he was truly needed, he was there and delivered consistently.
As things stand, Toure has 82 goals for City, a tremendous return for a box-to-box midfielder. He had performed well in France with Monaco, was part of the sensational early Guardiola years at Barcelona, but it is in Manchester that Toure found a home for his talents. City helped him to fulfill his ability and he helped them reach the level their owners and fans craved.
#3 Vincent Kompany
The only player to be there since the very beginning, Kompany was one of the first arrivals under Sheikh Mansour and has never thought about leaving. He's destined to go down as one of the Premier League's greatest ever captains, alongside John Terry and Steven Gerrard, and on his day there was no one better with leadership qualities. Recall his towering header which beat Manchester United in one of the biggest Manchester derbies in recent history that was vital to City winning their first league title in 44 years, and the importance of Kompany to this team will be remembered.
The big Belgian was made captain at the start of 2011/2012, after Carlos Tevez's off-field issues, and he was made for the role: he was vocal at the back, commanding in the air, and a calming presence for his fellow teammates. What's also notable is the passion he clearly has for the club - evident yesterday when he celebrated scoring the 2nd goal against Arsenal by running to the corner and roaring in delight. If any player of the Sheikh Mansour years truly feels like a passionate City fan, it's Kompany.
Like De Bruyne, he's unlucky not to find himself higher on this list, even 1st, but his injury record, unfortunately, counts against him. Kompany hasn't made more than 15 league appearances since 2014/2015, and one can only wonder how much better City would have performed in these campaigns if Kompany had led them.
#2 Sergio Aguero
Who else but Aguero would have opened the scoring yesterday? The goal showed all his great qualities, as he craftily edged his marker Shkodran Mustafi off him with a small nudge, tore after the long ball beating the chasing defenders for pace, then cheekily lobbed David Ospina before he had any idea what to do. It was his 30th goal of the season, in a season many said he'd struggle for game time given the young presence of Gabriel Jesus in the squad.
It's a testament to Aguero's ability and willpower that this hasn't been the case, and Guardiola simply hasn't been able to drop him due to his form. The player is rarely missed out when talking about the Premier League's best ever forward comes around and his statistics speak for themselves: at least 30 goals in 4 of his 7 seasons with City; the EPL Golden Boot award in 2014/2015 with 26 league goals; 199 total goals in just 288 appearances. His form has been world-class and there aren't many more natural finishers in world football in the 21st century.
He arrived at the club in 2011/2012 and brought the consistent goals needed after Tevez's off-field tantrums meant City were mostly without their previous talisman. It was also Aguero's goal, of course, that won the league title that season, so gloriously in the last minute of the last game against QPR. It's funny that Aguero would go down in City history for that moment alone, but his proceeding performances at the Etihad Stadium will ensure he'll be remembered as their greatest ever striker.
#1 David Silva
It was a close call between the Spaniard and Aguero for 1st but Silva edges it for his consistency and overall creativity. Another player who's often overlooked, he's been overshadowed at the national level, cursed with the fate of playing at the same time as Andres Iniesta and Xavi, but for City he's been the main creative source for nearly 8 seasons now.
A slight, small midfielder signed from Valencia, and when many who thought that Silva would struggle to adapt to the physicality of the Premier League, he began immediately proving them wrong. David Silva won 3 consecutive club players of the month awards between October 2010 and December 2010.
His skill on the ball and eye for a pass were often too much to comprehend. Similar players like Arsenal's Mesut Ozil have been criticized for disappearing in big games but Silva has never had this problem. He scored 1 and set up 1 in City's famous 6-1 beating of rivals Manchester United in early 2011; it was from his excellent corner kick that Company headed home to beat them in the return league game 1-0.
Silva's movement and ability to find space has been virtually unmatched since he arrived in England, and City fans and neutrals alike have been lucky to marvel at such a world-class footballer. Like Aguero, Silva must have been fearing for his first team position upon Guardiola's arrival and subsequent spending, but Silva's ability has ensured his continued presence. At 32, he has shown no signs of slowing down, and even started the season with 8 assists in 14 games. Barcelona and Real Madrid were often interested in bringing him back to Spain, but Silva has never wavered and will forever be remembered as a City legend in their greatest era.
