John Stones is driving on Manchester City's treble bid

Manchester City’s ‘Barnsley Busquets’ John Stones is relishing his new hybrid midfield role having put in the ‘greatest’ performance of his career against Bayern Munich… his versatility is driving on their Treble bid

• John Stones was influential as Manchester City brushed aside Bayern Munich
• Defender has taken to his hybrid role superbly and is driving on the treble bid
• Stuart Pearce described his showing on TalkSport as the greatest of his career 

Manchester City handed over part of their training facilities to Bayern Munich on Wednesday so Thomas Tuchel’s weary side could easily complete a recovery session before travelling home, beaten and bruised.

As they limbered up for the warm-down, it is not hard to imagine the likes of Jamal Musiala, Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka — Bayern’s engine room — discussing quite how a centre half in midfield could have had such an impact on this Champions League quarter-final.

City name certain aspects of the Etihad Campus after important players in their recent history and, should he reach a decade at this club and pocket a maiden European trophy, it is not inconceivable that the name John Stones is etched on to a plaque somewhere. ‘My best memories are here, I love it,’ he said recently. ‘I really do feel like it’s my home.’

On talkSPORT, Stuart Pearce described Stones’ Bayern masterclass as the greatest performance of his career. And it is sure to have given watching England manager Gareth Southgate food for thought.

Stones has not had a permanent residence in Pep Guardiola’s starting XI this season, though. Back in November, Sportsmail asked him to list the different positions he had played during the first three months of the campaign and his answer was to wonder which positions he hadn’t actually occupied.

John Stones has assimilated to his new hybrid role superbly under tutelage of Pep Guardiola

The defender-cum-midfielder dominated Bayern Munich’s vast array of talent on special night

Stones’s showings have coincided with City growing in confidence they can land the treble 

Depending on the circumstances of games, Stones had taken up three of the back four positions, acted as a sitter, a No 8, right winger and a No 10.

Not all of them for long but it was some list. You’re always learning on the job when Guardiola is your boss.

Now there is less of the hotdesking and he has a more settled location, albeit an unconventional one. Stones has been a masterful presence in his quasi-central midfield role over the last few weeks, coinciding with City’s best run of the season.

Effectively, he gives the defence better passing lines in the build-up, creates a sturdier block for counter-attacks and allows Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and Co to start higher up the pitch. But there was a slight tweak against Bayern that took some negotiating.

Stones, excellent yet again, has been flitting between a No 6 and right back. On Tuesday, he was required to drop in as a centre half instead. It’s a small difference yet watching him and Rodri engage in a fairly passionate argument about positioning after a dangerous Bayern break showed how tough even the smallest details can be. And how crucial they are.

The school of thought is that City were wary of Bayern’s wingers — Leroy Sane in particular — and so Stones dropping vertically allowed Manuel Akanji to split and deal with the ex-City winger in a more timely fashion. It didn’t always work but shows how Guardiola believes his defenders are astute enough to pick things up almost on the spot.

Manchester City’s starting XI’s average positions for the 90 minutes against Bayern Munich

Stones’s touch map against Bayern Munich – his versatility and ability to move around is driving on their treble bid

Stuart Pearce called the defender’s showing the best of his career after significant evening at the Etihad Stadium

Stones was rewarded for his strong performance with the man of the match award at the end of the game

The defensive movements on Tuesday night looked slightly easier to understand than normal, although the mechanics of that were more difficult. It required Stones and Akanji to remain simultaneously attuned to situations at all times, otherwise the pair were found on top of each other. If that happens, Sane gallops unopposed.

Usually the onus is on Stones and Stones alone, making that diagonal recovery run to full back. When two need to go — and this is before talking about Rodri’s role in it all — it doubles the jeopardy.

Seamless when completed in tandem, however, and it worked for the majority of the game. The stability of City’s back four was afforded special praise by Guardiola — the mentality to shrug off any setbacks and refocus — and that felt like something new in this competition.

There have been better matches, more dramatic nights, in east Manchester under the Catalan but that is largely down to concentration issues in the home box. Real Madrid (2022), Liverpool (2018) and Tottenham (2019) were afforded eight goals between them in City’s home legs. The sight of Ruben Dias hurling himself at Musiala’s early shot, when the tie was goalless, suggested that City are looking to banish those days altogether.

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