It should not come as news to Manchester City supporters - or any football fans for that matter - that John Stones is a very good footballer. After enduring some up-and-down years at City, the Barnsley-born centre-back enjoyed a terrific campaign last season that saw him form a solid partnership with new recruit Ruben Dias.
Stones was so good that he managed to keep Aymeric Laporte - a defender incredibly well-thought of by Pep Guardiola - out of the City team. Circumstances change quickly in football though and Stones has seen his game time decrease this term. However, now he is proving his worth in a very different way to last season.
Stones has only started nine of City's Premier League games this season, but thanks to a hamstring injury picked up by Dias during the FA Cup win at Peterborough earlier this month, he has regained his spot in the side. Playing back-up is nothing new for Stones, but this season he has handled what is probably a frustrating situation better than ever before.
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In the three games City have played since Dias sustained his injury - a 4-1 win against Manchester United and back-to-back goalless draws with Sporting Lisbon and Crystal Palace - Stones has looked as confident and assured as a defender that has played every available minute this season.
He was at this best during City's frustrating draw at Selhurst Park on Monday, his ability to progress the ball from the back unaffected by Palace's aggressive pressing early on. He appears to have shaken off the mistakes that blighted his early City days, so much so that of City's four senior central defenders he is arguably the most reliable.
What has been most impressive about Stones in recent weeks is that he is putting in these performances despite not playing regularly. The England international has never been a 'plug-in-and-play' defender that can come in and perform after months on the bench.
It's entirely possible that when Dias returns from injury he will have to fight it out with Laporte for a starting spot, because Stones should be assured of a place in Guardiola's line-up on this form. Pep has long claimed that he does not rotate for the sake of it and that players will keep their place if they play well. Stones certainly has.
If Stones does keep his place for the remainder of the title run-in, then he will find himself in the reverse of the position he was in this time three years ago.
Stones and Laporte were Guardiola's preferred centre-backs in 2018/19, but the former was replaced at the back by Vincent Kompany for five of City's final six league matches. Kompany was the kind of defender who could come into the team at a moment's notice, but before now Stones has needed time to get up to speed and build rhythm.
Stones has had a mixed career at City, but now is his chance to prove a new side to his game and character. He overcame many setbacks before enjoying a career-best season last year, but coming in to steer the Blues through to the title this time around would be his greatest achievement yet.
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