Richard Dunne lauds Joao Cancelo for latest Manchester City masterclass

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Former Manchester City defender, Richard Dunne, believes that Joao Cancelo is among the very best in the world at the moment on current form.

Cancelo was in fine nick again this weekend and City stormed past Everton at The Etihad. His pass to set up Raheem Sterling was a moment of inspiration and had everyone in the footballing world purring over the quality of it.

Since arriving at City, Cancelo has developed himself from a bog-standard right-back to being an all-rounder who can fill several roles for Pep Guardiola. And that aspect of Cancelo’s game has impressed former City star Dunne, who was blown away by his quality this weekend.

“I don’t know if he is a full-back – he is the defensive equivalent of a number 10,” Dunne told Manchester City’s official website.

“City’s left back links the whole team together. He can create from everywhere; his passing is brilliant and his dribbling is ridiculous. His understanding of the game is insane. He’s so fluent in how he moves and kicks the ball – you just don’t know where he is going to pop up! Probably the only other defender that was comfortable anywhere was Phillip Lahm.”

“It’s remarkable. I wouldn’t label him with a position – he’s just a footballer. Technically he’s very, good. Those qualities combined shows that he can operate in any position.”

Cancelo has been impressing all season for City. He’s now considered one of the first names on the team sheet under Guardiola. The former Valencia man has already had plaudits lately, with Gary Neville admitting recently he had recommended Cancelo to Manchester United in the past.

TBR’s View: Cancelo the best in the league now

Defensively and going forward, Cancelo is right up there. In fact, he’s probably in the argument for being the best player in the Premier League right now. And that’s even taking into consideration the stunning play we are seeing from the likes of Salah and Mane.

Once again, Cancelo’s improvement is a nod towards just how good a coach Pep Guardiola is. He has come on leaps and bounds under the Spaniard and is now reaping the rewards.

If Cancelo keeps up this level of performance, then City will be right in the mix for winning the title, while the player himself will be in the conversation for individual awards.