This weekend provides a particular moment for reflection that comes around in every football season.
The return matches from the opening weekend fixtures give us an opportunity to look at how much things have changed for our clubs and rivals, along with just how hilariously wrong all our predictions were.
In fairness, good luck to anyone who tried to forecast anything off the back of Tottenham 1-0 Manchester City on a sunkissed August day last year.
Pep Guardiola’s side missed a host of early chances before putting in a generally lacklustre display. Was there a Porto hangover? This team surely wouldn’t be able to mount a title challenge - certainly not without a striker!
Harry Kane dominated proceedings despite not being involved for Spurs, his attempts to engineer a move to City falling way short of coming to fruition.
This was the start of a bold new era under Nuno Espirito Santo for the north Londoners, while the man who will probably be named City’s player of the season looked like he had maybe played his last game for the club.
Here, we look at what Guardiola managed to sift out of the nonsense to put the Blues back on the path to glory. Honestly, the only thing that makes sense about that afternoon now is the fact that Son Heung-min scored the winner, because of course he did.
A new role for Jack
Amid all the Kane talk, there was also plenty of focus on the England Euro 2020 hero who City actually managed to sign.
Jack Grealish was probably the visitors’ best player on the day, providing a handful of eye-catching moments as he roved from central midfield as one of two number eights alongside Ilkay Gundogan.
Yet it remains the last time Grealish has started a game in that position for City, with Guardiola subsequently selecting the £100million man in his front three, either on the left-wing or at the centre of the attack.
Grealish’s ability to retain possession, link play between the lines and look for Pep’s cherished “extra pass” has seen him play a key but under-rated role in the title charge.
Silva lining
Guardiola redeploying Grealish might not have been possible without one of his unused substitutes at Spurs re-entering the fray.
Bernardo Silva was keen to move on this summer and his cameo in the Community Shield defeat to Leicester City felt like a farewell.
But a lack of transfer movement in the week after the Spurs loss preceded Guardiola starting Bernardo in midfield for the visit of Norwich City.
The Blues won 5-0 and did likewise against Arsenal the following weekend. Bernardo was exceptional in both matches and then scored the winner at Leicester. He continues to rip it up home and abroad and the Tottenham match remains the only Premier League game he has not started this term.
Rodri reborn
Rodri has been every bit as important as Bernardo to this post-Spurs reset. He also watched events unfold at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium from the bench.
However, his turnaround has arguably been more impressive. In Bernardo’s case, the only doubt revolved around whether he would be happy remaining at City - one that has been answered emphatically. The quality of his performances always felt guaranteed once that area of concern had been satisfied.
After a difficult first season with City in 2019/20, Rodri played well for the majority of last term but lost his place to Fernandinho for the second leg of the Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain and also missed out on the final.
That trajectory repeated itself as he began Euro 2020 in Spain’s first XI before giving way to the great Sergio Busquets. It is hard to imagine Rodri’s position being similarly under threat for City now after an imperious body of work in 2020/21.
From Ferran to false nine
It looked like Ferran Torres would be a key part of City’s plan B after not being able to secure Kane.
The Spain youngster started at the point of City’s attack and missed a glorious close-range opportunity to equalise in the second half at Spurs. But his penetrative runs in behind were a notable feature, as they were in the opening weeks of the season.
However, a metatarsal injury picked up on international duty in October meant we had seen the last of Ferran in a City shirt as Barcelona got on manoeuvers shortly afterwards.
Guardiola has recalibrated his front three, with Phil Foden or Grealish generally the picks at false nine. Maybe City will rue not having him as an option at the business end of the season but, as goals stack up in the Premier League and Champions League, it is safe to say Ferran is yet to be missed in any way whatsoever.
What do you think has been City's biggest improvement since the opening weekend of the season? Follow City Is Ours editor Dom Farrell on Twitter to get involved in the discussion and give us your thoughts in the comments section below.
