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This summer's European Championships were one of the most eagerly anticipated sporting events of the year, and has certainly not disappointed so far as we enter the last eight of the competition. The tournament was scheduled to be played last summer, but had to be postponed as a result of the global Coronavirus pandemic. It came on the back of a hectic, but highly successful season for the Blues, with Pep Guardiola's side winning their third title in four years and adding yet another Carabao Cup to their trophy cabinet. The campaign ended on a disappointing note, however, as City lost their first ever Champions League final 1-0 to Chelsea in Porto.
City originally had an impressive fourteen players involved at the tournament, more than any other club side. Phil Foden, Kyle Walker, Raheem Sterling and John Stones were named in Gareth Southgate's 26 man squad, whilst Joao Cancelo, Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva were called up by Portugal. Sadly, Cancelo was forced to withdraw after testing positive for Covid before the tournament started, and was replaced by ex-United player Diego Dalot.
Ferran Torres and Rodri were named in the Spanish squad, and were joined by Aymeric Laporte, who changed his international allegiance when he was granted Spanish citizenship after continually being overlooked by French manager Didier Deschamps. Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium), Ilkay Gundogan (Germany), Nathan Ake (Netherlands) and Oleksamdr Zinchenko (Ukraine) completed the City contingent at the Championships.
Those fourteen players alone would make for a pretty impressive squad (if you could add a goalkeeper to their ranks!), but if you are looking for an interactive Euro 2020 squad builder go to bestbettingsites.com.
As we head into the quarter-finals, only nine of the City players originally selected still remain. Portugal were knocked out by Belgium, whilst Germany were defeated by their old foe England in a memorable game at Wembley. The Netherlands, meanwhile, were surprisingly defeated by Jaroslav Šilhavý's Czech Republic side in Amsterdam.
Below we take a look at how City's English contingent have fared so far in this year's competition.
Raheem Sterling
Sterling is one of Gareth Southgate's most trusted players, and has repaid that faith in abundance so far. With three goals in four games he has enjoyed an outstanding tournament, and will be crucial if England are to go on and win the competition. It comes on the back of a difficult domestic season for the winger, who founds himself out of favour with Pep Guardiola towards the end of the campaign. With two years left to run on his contract, City are keen to sit down and discuss a new deal. His performances in the Euros so far will only strengthen his hand when it comes to negotiations.
Kyle Walker
Walker is one of the most experienced players in the England squad, with 58 caps to his name since making his international debut in 2011. His versatility has proved to be very useful for Gareth Southgate, who has employed Walker as a both a full-back and as a central defender so far in the tournament.
John Stones
The "Barnsley Beckenbauer", as he is affectionately known by fans, has been the bedrock of an English defence that is yet to concede in the four games played. His ability on the ball has never been in doubt, but Stones has shown a resilience and mental toughness since breaking back into the national side. He seems to be relishing in his role as one of the more senior England players.
Phil Foden
Foden is rightly considered one of the great young hopes in this English side, and enjoyed a steady if unspectacular start to the Euros. He nearly made his mark after just six minutes of England's first game, curling a delightful left footed shot on the post, with Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic well beaten. Left out against the Czech Republic in order to avoid a suspension, he has found himself temporarily behind Arsenal's Buyako Saka in the pecking order but a recall against the Ukraine certainly isn't out of the question for such a generational talent.