The Dutch defender was a key part of last season’s historic Treble, playing 41 times as City lifted the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.
The 28-year-old was a regular on the left side of a defence that proved to be the foundation of yet another spectacular season under the guidance of Pep Guardiola.
It marked a changing of fortunes for Ake, who had missed sections of his first two campaigns at City through injury.
He now has seven major honours to his name, having won the Premier League in each season at City plus each of the Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Super Cup once.
Here we’ll look back at some of his most memorable games in a City shirt…
Wolves 1-3 City, 21 September 2020
More than six weeks on from signing for the Club, Ake made his debut in our first Premier League game of the new campaign – delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions pushing back the end of the previous season.
City, seeking to reclaim the title after losing out in 2019/20, dominated the early proceedings. Goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden split the sides at the break before Raul Jimenez made it nervy with just over 10 minutes remaining.
A stoppage time Gabriel Jesus goal sealed the win for City. It was a feeling Ake was going to get used to.
Crystal Palace 0-2 City, 1 May 2021
With the Premier League title edging closer, Ake got his first 90 minutes since Boxing Day after a hamstring injury had affected much of his first season at City.
A central defensive pairing with Aymeric Laporte kept our hosts at arm’s length as Sergio Aguero and Ferran Torres scored the goals at the other end of the pitch.
Importantly for Ake, it reminded City fans of the quality of the defender that had joined the previous summer.
As with most new additions at City, it takes a year under Pep Guardiola to truly bed in. Ake was hoping he would be another to follow that pattern as his first season drew to a close.
City 6-3 RB Leipzig, 15 September 2021
The start of the 2021/22 Champions League season saw Ake featuring at centre-back alongside Ruben Dias.
He scored as we ran out winners in a classic group stage tie. However, as we revealed in the first episode of last summer’s ‘Together: Champions Again!’ series – Ake’s dad had passed away shortly after the game was played.
In that episode, the defender spoke about that difficult time in his life and the support he received from his family, his dog and City - stating that Pep told him to take as much time off as he required.
He also showed us some of his skills on the piano.
“It settles me down and helps me to think about nothing other than the piano. It’s nice sometimes to be away from everything,” he said about his hobby.
West Ham United 0-2 City, 7 August 2022
The defender started a season in which he would become one of the first names of the teamsheet with a clean sheet at West Ham.
Erling Haaland got the headlines for a brace on his Premier League debut, but the tight defence gave a hint of what would become the backbone of the Treble success.
He played at the heart of the defence in this game but would move to left-back sporadically through the early period of the season until a more regular move out wide after the World Cup.
City 1-0 Arsenal, 27 January 2023
Having been at left-back on several occasions following the World Cup break, this could perhaps be considered the game that he really made the position his own.
It was his goal that edged the game and kept the dream of a Treble alive. Although he made his name as a reliable defender rather than an overlapping full-back, Ake was more than willing to contribute in the final third.
Venturing forward, he received a pass from Jack Grealish, moved it on to his right foot and guided it home inside the far post. That was the only goal in an otherwise tight game and Pep Guardiola knew exactly how important Ake had been.
“Right now, without Nathan, we cannot play good,” said the boss in his post-match press conference.
City 2-0 Newcastle United, 4 March 2023
“Look at Nathan this season. Last season he didn’t play one minute and now he is undroppable,” those were Guardiola’s words after another fine performance from the defender.
It demonstrated just how impressed the manager has been by Ake’s attitude and how important a factor that was in his improved standing within the team over the 2022/23 season.
It was the 12th Premier League game in a row in which Ake had featured. He was again playing at left-back but also filling in the middle of the defence when John Stones stepped forward into midfield.
That was a crucial tactic in City’s vastly improved form in the second half of the campaign, and Ake’s tactical and technical ability was essential in making it work.
City 3-0 Bayern Munich, 11 April 2023
A comprehensive victory against a perennial challenger for the Champions League. This game was a major boost for the entire Club, with all involved full of belief that this could be our year for European glory.
With talents like Leroy Sane, Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry up top for Bayern, the defence had to be on top form.
And Ake certainly was. He marked Coman almost entirely out of the game, even with the Bundesliga champions having more of the ball and completing more passes than us.
It was a statement performance from Ake, who made it clear for all to see he was an elite performer at the very top of European football.
City 1-0 Inter, 10 June 2023
After an injury had interrupted his excellent form in the final couple of weeks of the domestic season, there was some doubt that Ake would feature in the Champions League final.
However, after the Dutch defender was given the all clear, Guardiola had no hesitation in moving back to the favoured back four in earlier rounds of the European competition.
Although understandably not at our free flowing best given the stakes, we kept the Italian giants at arms’ length. That was at least until Rodrigo’s goal, when the Nerazzurri threw everything at us.
It required a dogged performance from everyone in the back five to get us over the line. But as they had done at key moments throughout the campaign, they stood strong. That was enough to make City, and Ake, Champions of Europe and Treble winners.
