Ranking Manchester City's Top 5 Players for January 2016

January was a busy month for Manchester City. Manuel Pellegrini’s side faced eight matches spanning three competitions. Results, on the whole, were good.

City’s January Results

Watford 1-2 City

Everton 2-1 City (League Cup)

Norwich City 0-3 City (FA Cup)

City 0-0 Everton

City 4-0 Crystal Palace

West Ham United 2-2 City

City 3-1 Everton (League Cup)

Aston Villa 0-4 City (FA Cup)

They remain on course for an unprecedented quadruple. They have a trip to Wembley for the League Cup final to look forward to at the end of February, they will face Chelsea in the FA Cup fifth round and are three points off the top in the Premier League. A Champions League last-16 tie with Dynamo Kiev is also booked.

Their league form has been erratic, though. They haven’t managed back-to-back wins in the league for over three months, and if they want to reclaim the title, that has to change. The first week of February, with games against Sunderland and Leicester City, gives them an opportunity to move to the top of the table once more.

But before we move onto February’s fixtures, let’s look back over January and outline City’s top five players in what was a vital month.

5. Martin Demichelis

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Martin Demichelis will almost certainly leave the Etihad Stadium in the summer, and when he does, he will go proud of the role he’s played at City over a three-year period.

He lacks pace and mobility, which is a huge problem for a Premier League defender, and his performances this season have been nowhere near as good as they were over the previous 18 months. However, given City problems at the back, his intelligence and astute reading of the game, as well as his ability to bring the ball down and pass, have helped his side through a turbulent period.

With Vincent Kompany and Eliaquim Mangala injured, the last six games of January have seen City with few options at centre-half. Demichelis has had to play more regularly than Pellegrini would ideally have liked.

Yet he’s outshone Nicolas Otamendi, whose recklessness and tendency to go to ground remain a concern, and he has performed admirably. He's the opposite of Mangala: calm, composed, in tune with those around him and good in possession.

Clearly, City would prefer a younger, fitter option, particularly given the demands of playing in four competitions, but Demichelis is once again helping them out of a hole, just as he did last season.

For £3.5 million, he’s been a bargain.

4. Jesus Navas

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Another player who has had his critics this term, Jesus Navas continues to dumbfound those who doubt his ability.

His introduction from the bench is a tactic that’s working superbly for Pellegrini. If Plan A is failing, Navas, with his pace, width and directness, brings something altogether different.

He did exactly that against Watford on Jan. 2. City were struggling. There was no zest to their play or inspiration from their players. Navas came on and suddenly they had more about them.

And then again in the League Cup semi-final first leg, his introduction improved City. He scored a goal that proved crucial in the tie as a whole and was denied a clear penalty when he was tripped by Kevin Mirallas inside the area.

He earned a start away at Norwich City in the FA Cup and was outstanding, and in the second leg against Everton, his impact-sub qualities were on show again.

Say what you like about his technical ability, but Navas brings much-needed attributes to the table.

3. Fabian Delph

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The way Fabian Delph has gone about quietly ramming the scepticism thrown his way after his summer switch from Aston Villa back down the throats of his critics has been impressive.

He wouldn’t be able to cut it, they said, in a side challenging for major honours. How could Delph compete with the players in City’s star-studded squad?

His answer has been fairly emphatic. He is now an integral squad member. His running power and cultured left foot mean City often look better with his involvement.

In January, he was superb away at Norwich, scored a goal and was man of the match against Palace and finished the month with another impressive display at former club Villa against a backdrop of negativity from the home fans.

2. Fernandinho

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Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho missed four games in January but deserves his place on this list because of the quality he showed in the four he did play.

It’s getting to the stage where he’s man of the match pretty much every time he features. Against Watford, he was superb—by far City’s hardest-working and most dynamic player. He, as usual, was the catalyst for the side’s best moments.

The defeat to Everton was a low point of the month for all the players, but even in that game, Fernandinho managed to impress. His role in Jesus Navas’ crucial goal shouldn’t be underestimated, and he was energetic all evening, which was more than could be said of some of his team-mates.

Injury saw him miss the next four games before he returned for the League Cup semi-final second leg with Everton. He was superb. He scored City’s first goal, which picked them up from a slow start, and he was the driving force from midfield all evening.

In the FA Cup win over Villa, Kelechi Iheanacho may have taken the headlines, but Fernandinho wasn’t far behind in terms of the quality of his performance.

He’s been City’s player of the season so far. Of that there can be little doubt.

1. Sergio Aguero

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There can be no argument about the identity of City’s best player in January. Sergio Aguero, who has had a stop-start campaign because of injury, had a sensational month.

Not only did he find his best form again, with sharpness and movement returning to his game, but he scored some absolutely vital goals too.

He bagged a late winner against Watford—a wonderful header from Bacary Sagna’s pinpoint cross—and he was man of the match against Norwich, scoring a wonderful opener in a 3-0 win.

Against West Ham United, he was by far City’s best player. The home defence could barely contain him. He scored two and hit the post after a moment of pure brilliance.

Another two goals followed in the 4-0 win over Crystal Palace in the Premier League before his superb header in the second leg of City’s League Cup semi-final tie with Everton saw the Blues progress to the final.

Seven goals in eight games, including some wonderful all-round performances, demonstrated he is back to his best.

It feels vital for City to keep him fit and firing, particularly now Kevin De Bruyne will be out for six to eight weeks.

The goalscoring burden consequently rests predominantly with Aguero.