The 28-year-old put in another sublime performance in the week as we beat Bayern Munich 3-0 in the home leg of our Champions League quarter-final.
Ake has become a mainstay for City in recent months, already featuring more times across 2022/23 than in either of his previous two seasons at the Etihad.
He admits it took time for him to fully adapt after joining the Club in the summer of 2020, but he believes the guidance of the manager has played a massive part in him reaching his current levels.
“[Pep Guardiola] helped a lot,” said Ake.
“A few people maybe take a season for everything to click. For me, it was the same. The first season that I came, it wasn’t my best season in terms of football and a lot of injuries.
“Naturally, my confidence came down, even without knowing and I was playing in a different kind of way.
“The second season was already improving and getting better, understanding everything a little bit more about the Club and the manager.
“This season, I think everything has just clicked. From there, I have just grown and the manager has helped me a lot with it.”
The Netherlands international has also settled well into a hybrid defensive role this season, with City conceding just three goals in our last five Premier League games when Ake has been on the pitch.
Ake has mainly operated at left-back under Guardiola but, under a relatively new system that sees John Stones push into midfield, he also switches into a back three during games and, as a result, a more central position in the defence.
He has flourished in both roles in sky blue this term.
“I think naturally I am a centre back in the middle and that is where I am most comfortable. But the way we are playing now is basically a mix of two as a left back and a centre back in the build-up,” Ake explained.
“This position I am playing now is suited to me really well and I am really enjoying it.”
City face a hectic end to the season, with fixtures in the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup this month.
And Ake acknowledges the importance of staying focused so he and the team can maintain our current performance levels for the remainder of the campaign, starting with this weekend’s fixture against Leicester City.
“On the pitch, I always try to do my job. We know that every game is a different game and you cannot switch off when you perform because we have so many top players,” said Ake.
“Everyone can take your place at any moment, so you always have to be sharp and give everything and that is what I am trying to do.”
