Man City discovered a natural replacement for four players with one tactical change
When Pep Guardiola says he has never coached a player like Rico Lewis, it's easy to see why.
He has coached the best player in the world in Lionel Messi, plus prolific goalscoring machines like Robert Lewandowski, Sergio Aguero and Erling Haaland. He has developed the world's best defenders into all-round midfielders, and nurtured others who will go down in history as the best to play the game.
And while it is very, very early days, Rico Lewis has the potential to be defined as the perfect 'Guardiola player'. He is someone without a position, who can play everywhere at once and is starting to add an attacking threat to his game.
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With six changes made to his Manchester City side against Slovan Bratislava, Lewis kept his spot but was needed further forward while still looking over his shoulder at right-back. Slovan are not the kind of opposition who Lewis will be fortunate enough to face every week as they defended deep and sieved chances. Indeed Lewis willingly accepts himself that he is far from the finished article.
But Slovan did what most teams try to do and looked to stop Lewis physically rather than second-guessing where he will turn up next. If he's within kicking range, kick him.
Lewis started his ninth game of the season in Slovakia and is firmly ahead of Kyle Walker in the hierarchy so far this season - in part because he can do so much more than Walker. We are used to Lewis inverting inside to a number six or number eight position, but this season he has been a false nine at times.
Over the last week he's added number 10 and second striker to his portfolio. His party trick is that he can, somehow, do all of those positions at the same time. Don't make the mistake of thinking right-back is free if Lewis isn't there - because he soon will be.
Tuesday was a perfect example of his progress in the last three months. When City were in possession, he was playing close to Haaland in the pockets where Julian Alvarez used to thrive, constantly finding Jeremy Doku out wide or even getting to the byline and cutting back for Haaland - a picture-perfect Guardiola move.
If needed, he was mopping up possession back at number eight or showing the awareness at number six where inverted full-backs are meant to help out. His defence-splitting assist for Haaland's goal, after meandering into the centre-circle before quickly changing tempo, was one that Kevin De Bruyne or David Silva would have been proud of. He was then quickly back at right-back when Slovan attacked moments later.
It's no exaggeration to say Lewis is keeping out Walker, helping to offset the loss of Rodri, replacing the creativity of De Bruyne and even offering the link-up of Alvarez. He had four assists in 50 senior appearances before this season and began the summer saying he wanted to play more in midfield.
A few weeks on and he insists he's happy to play wherever - probably because he knows he will pop up anywhere between Haaland and Ederson. His position no longer matters as long as he's in the XI.
When Haaland went off, Lewis even found himself in the no.9 position, and by full-time he was playing on the left-wing after all the substitutions. He'd probably back himself as a goalkeeper.
It's three assists in nine now this term and as Guardiola looks for a system without some of his most important players, it's abundantly clear Lewis has to be part of it.
The manager had the final word after the game: "The way Rico is playing, there are no words. He does everything.
"He is playing at the highest level. You can count on him, he always has the ability to be free, makes incredible kilometre so is there all the time. He is intelligent when you have to control. As a manager, this attribute is massively important. Intelligence is the biggest attribute and he has it."