The four Man City stars who have answered their doubters and stood up for Pep Guardiola during their resurgence, writes JACK GAUGHAN

Pep Guardiola extoled the virtues of the tortoise not the hare on the eve of his big day, one that ended with Manchester City's latest tradition of a weekly lap of honour.

Basically that no Premier League title is won in November, of which his assertion is correct. And that generally, winners rise through the season. That they are slow and steady, peak far later. He's not wrong about that either, City the main case study for it across his 550 matches on this isle.

Those words felt particularly relevant as the gap with Arsenal narrowed to four points but – and you'll have to forget Erling Haaland for a minute here - what Guardiola left unsaid was how good sides are built on their perceived weakest links.

Going into this season, there were plenty within this squad who had real question marks over them.

Four of those – Jeremy Doku, Matheus Nunes, Nico Gonzalez and Nico O'Reilly – have proven to be the guys who have stood up during City's resurgence. The intrigue around how they might do this year is for wildly different reasons – Nunes previously inconsistent, O'Reilly whether he could go again after a top breakthrough campaign – but there was intrigue nevertheless.

What Guardiola has been served up forms part of his positivity about City's prospects in a title race with old assistant Mikel Arteta. Up against Connor Bradley, Doku was unplayable. Not renowned for his end product yet ending with a sublime goal and the ability to carry defenders with him, opening up space for others. It was, without doubt, his crowning afternoon since joining in 2023.

This is an upward curve with Doku, a stable progression, whereas the Nunes trajectory is significantly steeper. His cross for Haaland's opener possessed the quality you would expect from a £53million midfielder – he was signed as one of those after all – but it is the stuff going in the opposite direction that is becoming increasingly evident by each passing week.

Nobody on either side registered more defensive actions than Nunes on the day. Eleven in total, broadly spread across interceptions, tackles, recoveries and clearances. The regularity of mistakes is slowing. Bluntly, the manager is not openly despairing at his decision-making on the touchline as much – or at all.

That then comes to O'Reilly. Never seems to put a foot wrong. Pockets Mohamed Salah, albeit a Salah whose full powers currently elude him. An England debut is surely on its way over the next 10 days and there is definitely a gap in that particular market before the World Cup. Of more immediate concern around these parts is whether summer signing Rayan Ait-Nouri is going to nudge his way back in. The obvious answers appears to be no at the moment.

'Salah has been a nightmare for many years,' Guardiola said. 'Nico had to be aggressive and made a step up; you have to prove against the best. He had many good attributes but he didn't have this aggression in the duels. I'm so pleased with the way he's performing.'

With the two full backs settled, the tip of that triangle has also stepped forward. In the space of six weeks, Gonzalez has gone from the focus of fear among supporters to somebody so comfortable that the idea of Rodri not featuring is hardly ever being discussed.

An intelligence in the deeper midfield role, a range of passing which opened up Liverpool for Doku's goal, and a proof of relishing the sort of donkey work that Rodri handles so well. Within 15 seconds of this, Gonzalez had mopped up two loose balls that halted Liverpool progressing into City's third and it set the tone for the sort of victory that left those here muttering words like 'statement'.