Sergio Aguero grabbed the headlines but Pep Guardiola hailed another Manchester City player who had a "perfect" afternoon at Crystal Palace.
The Blues took a giant stride towards the Premier League title with a 2-0 win at Selhurst Park, while still managing to rest the players who will face Paris St Germain in the Champions League semi-final second leg on Tuesday.
Guardiola made nine changes from the side that won 2-1 in France in midweek, and Nathan Ake formed a central defensive partnership with Aymeric Laporte which snuffed out the physical threat of Christian Benteke and the more subtle danger of Wilfred Zaha.
Ake has had a miserable first season for the Blues. Injury, the resurgent form of John Stones, the brilliant arrival of Ruben Dias and the enduring trust in Laporte have made the Holland international a peripheral figure as City have chased silverware on four fronts.
But Ake stepped in at Palace and showed why City splashed out £41million to bring him from Bournemouth last summer.
Guardiola was delighted with his showing, saying: "(Nathan is) one of the other reasons I'm so satisfied.
"I love the nice guys and he's one of the nicest. He's struggled a lot this season with injures, when he struggles and can't play it's not pleasing for us.
"A perfect performance, defensively always incredibly focused, defended the box with his life. He is one who knows if he is able to retain the rhythm for the last part of the season, I'm pretty sure he will play a big part."
