Under-rated Laporte has proved his worth as Man City welcome back Dias

There was a point when Aymeric Laporte went to the ground during the top-of-the-table contest with Liverpool where the Etihad Stadium faithful held a collective deep breath.

A mistake by Rodri had allowed Diogo Jota a clear run at Ederson in the Manchester City goal. Already with one to his name on Sunday afternoon, there was no one better to pick the ball up in that position, with another equaliser staring him in the face.

As the Portugal international went to shift the ball onto his left foot, he’d have seen a blue shirt coming across his vision, spread along the ground, blocking his path to the goal. And just as Jota was able to sort out his feet, Laporte had flicked the ball away and City went into half-time with a 2-1 lead.

It’s rare that major sections of the Etihad Stadium stand up to applaud a tackle, but that last-ditch effort was certainly worthy of the reception it received – and it came at a crucial point in the game.

READ MORE: Jake Paul makes Man City admissions after prediction proved wrong

Conceding a goal just before half-time would have completely killed City’s momentum and handed Liverpool all the initiative in the second half to kick on and find a winner. But Laporte stopped that from happening, as he often has this season.

It’s quite clear that the majority of the City fanbase prefers a centre-back partnership of Ruben Dias and John Stones. Not without merit either, the duo were crucial in the club’s run to a fifth Premier League title and a first-ever Champions League final last campaign.

But it’s hard to argue against Laporte being Pep Guardiola’s Mr Reliable this campaign, and he has deserved his frequent starts at the heart of the defence. Whether it’s alongside Ruben Dias, John Stones, or Nathan Aké, the Spaniard has been ever-present.

His ground tackling against some tricky opposition has already been highlighted, but his ability to break the lines and even spray a cross-field pass, 50 metres up field has become severely underrated.

Not just by City fans too, most pundits don’t really mention Laporte when listing some of Europe’s finest central defenders. But he’s right up there, and he will be crucial for the Blues in their treble run-in.

The 27-year-old broke an outstanding record last week that signifies the impact he’s had since moving to England. With 254, he became the player with the most points in Premier League history after 100 games – overtaking his City teammate, Ederson.

Sometimes his incredible ability does not get talked about enough. In one of City’s worst seasons under Guardiola – 2019/20 – Laporte was injured for nearly two-thirds – that’s no coincidence.

City are blessed with four elite central defenders at this moment in time, but Laporte proved, again, why he is one of the very best as Dias prepares to return.

Sign up to our City newsletter so you never miss an update from the Etihad Stadium this season.