Man City player ratings with five 8/10s as Donnarumma and Khusanov drive change

Manchester City player ratings for the season so far including a perfect score for Erling Haaland after a terrific start to the campaign

Things are on the up at Manchester City. Seven games unbeaten in all competitions since the last international break has changed the mood at the Etihad and started to convince supporters that this can be a successful season.

Pep Guardiola still has work to do to knit together a squad that contains so many new players, but will also relish the extra competition that will be provided by stars returning from injury. The Blues have tired across games, and that should help put an end to that if there are more options from the bench.

Premier League games away to Aston Villa and at home to Liverpool will test City over the next month as well as Champions League nights against Villarreal and Dortmund, but expectations are rising. Here are how the players have rated so far for their efforts.

Gianluigi Donnarumma: His deadline day signing has had a transformative effect on the defence akin to Ruben Dias in 2020, instantly making them feel more solid in a game where City increasingly face aerial bombardment from set-pieces. Could have done better for the last-minute goal at Arsenal but his performance there showed why City were willing to brutally move Ederson and James Trafford out of the way. 8

James Trafford: It does feel particularly harsh on Trafford that his only game since Brighton away has been a league cup game at Huddersfield. He has performed very well in two out of three league games, but doesn't know where his next start in the competition will come from. 7

Rico Lewis: Lewis has almost disappeared to the extent that Trafford has after playing so well at Wolves on the opening day. His last league start came at home to Tottenham and Matheus Nunes, Abdukodir Khusanov and John Stones have all been preferred at right-back since. 5

Matheus Nunes: His good can be very good but his mistakes are still a concern, with the potential for one bad minutes out of 45 to completely spoil a half or a game for the team. Scored a good goal against Burnley and it counts for something that he is keeping Lewis out. 6

Abdukodir Khusanov: Two-and-a-half games completed, zero goals against. Khusanov was a surprise pick at right-back for the derby but looked brilliant against United, Napoli, and Arsenal before injury got him at the Emirates. An excellent start though and a player Guardiola will be looking forward to welcoming back. 8

John Stones: He hasn't started a league game since Brighton but thankfully has only missed two games through injury. City look a better team with him in it, although there is stiff competition at centre-back again. 6

Ruben Dias: Dias has taken his time to settle this season but looks to have enjoyed Donnarumma's arrival and also appeared to be nearing his best form in the 1-0 shutout against Brentford. Having him regularly fit again is a big plus. 7

Josko Gvardiol: Injury ruled him out for the beginning of the campaign but he has soon settled into the centre-back role that he enjoys so much. Two assists for Erling Haaland in the last two game show he is still finding a way to influence the opposition box. 7

Nico O'Reilly: Like Khusanov, plunged into the team for the derby and he hasn't looked back. O'Reilly has gone further, making seven excellent starts that have contributed significantly to City's good run of form and also earned him an England call. 8

Nathan Ake: Nothing much to report, which isn't necessarily a bad thing for a squad player. Ake has looked solid whenever he has played without pushing his case yet to feature more regularly. 6

Rayan Ait-Nouri: A promising start at his former club Wolves but hamstrung by injury ever since really. He should return for the Everton game but will have a fight on his hands to take the left-back spot off O'Reilly. 6

Rodri: Lots of steps forward, accompanied by the equivalent steps back. The team feel better when he is in it but he is yet to boss a game like he did in his pomp and still has injury worries. 6

Nico Gonzalez: The other side of the Rodri coin, and it is no easy task to fill in for a Ballon d'Or winner at a moment's notice. Gonzalez still has a long way to go but the potential is there. 7

Bernardo Silva: As has been the case for some time, he is better defensively than when asked to be in an attacking role. However, his work on the wing allows Foden a freer role in the middle, and he gets an extra point for his captaincy. 7

Tijjani Reijnders: It seems a long time ago that he produced that astonishingly good Premier League debut, although he wasn't far off goals against Monaco and Brentford that would have improved opinion on him. Lots to like and lots to improve on. 7

Phil Foden: A difficult start to the season but has been one of City's best players over the last month and looks like he is finding the energy to be a leading man again. 8

Oscar Bobb: Plenty of good work on the wing but, as Guardiola has acknowledged, Bobb needs to find that decisiveness that will make his play worth it. A case of nearly but not quite on too many occasions. 7

Savinho: Missed the first part of the season through injury and hasn't really made the most of his three starts in the last four games. As ever, end-product is the ultimate judge and Savinho is yet to get off the mark in either column in the main two competitions. 5

Jeremy Doku: A changed man since September - and not just because he got baptised. Doku has shown the consistency that is needed to be a starring winger, now he needs to maintain it. 8

Omar Marmoush: Probably the harshest mark out of any but Marmoush is another whose season hasn't got going. He was outperformed at Wolves and then his only starts came in City's worst two performances - against Spurs and Brighton. 5

Erling Haaland: The goals speak for themselves but the all-round game that has improved and the leadership qualities that are coming bellowing out of the big Norwegian have made for his best start to a campaign in a City shirt. 10