Paul Lake column: Bernardo and Stones admiration, FA Youth Cup memories and Cherki X Factor

FA Cup final awaits

What an amazing achievement to reach four Wembley finals in a row.

This FA Cup side has not played regularly in the Premier League, don’t forget, and yet the standards and the expectations of each other, through Pep Guardiola’s stewardship, have been brilliant.

They have been a pleasure to watch.

I went to the Wembley semi-final with my son and my best pal, Jason Beckford, and we had a magnificent day.

Southampton were no pushover, having already beaten Arsenal and having scored plenty of goals in the Championship.

Our team hadn’t played together that regularly, and it was a big stage for them to play on, with huge expectations of individuals and the team itself.

Some players were also wanting to give Pep Guardiola a timely reminder to regain their place in the first team; excellent performances in particular from John Stones and Mateo Kovacic underlined that fact.

It was a great outcome for the Blues, of course...what a wondergoal from Nico Gonzalez!

Meeting us in the final will be Chelsea.

Their form has been very erratic of late, but if they get it right on the day they’ll be formidable opponents.

It’s going to be an exciting cup final, I think, with plenty of goals and chances created by both teams.

It would certainly be an astounding achievement for us to win the FA Cup and to continue the remarkable legacy of Pep Guardiola.

Silva service

Bernardo Silva epitomises everything great about Manchester City.

He’s just been an incredible servant for the club and his attributes are countless.

His energy, positivity and creativity have not only made him a popular player with the fans, but also with his teammates and with Pep himself.

Being given the captaincy this season has been the pinnacle of his career, I would suggest, for someone who’s achieved everything with Manchester City.

The amount of games he’s played, the consistency of his performances and the standards that he’s set have made it a privilege to watch him.

And like with David Silva, Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne, it’s going to be so sad to see him go.

But time waits for no man, and I’m sure the club and the fans will give him a send-off to befit his incredible career with the Blues.

Johnny, Johnny Stones

I think John Stones came to Manchester City with a willingness to learn and to develop, and he has done that with aplomb.

He’s been incredibly versatile, playing as a centre-half, at right back - and even as a No.6!

He’s one of those players that can just step up time and time again, even after a layoff, and his standards are incredible.

His intelligence, his decision-making and his calmness on the ball is superb, not just for Manchester City but for England too.

Whenever he’s been at his best, City have flourished.

John has been a very exciting player to watch, changing defence into attack and adding a real variety to his game.

He’s knuckled down, taken the chance offered by Pep Guardiola, and developed into one of the best defenders that Manchester City has ever had.

The Chase

I’m very excited about the Premier League run-in.

It’s in our hands to win every game and to score goals.

And with the form that we’re in, there’s no reason why we can’t do that.

As Pep says, and the players say, you take each game on its own merits and just have to do the job.

The three points is the most important thing, and if things do come down to goals scored, that’s something that this team has been awash with.

So I would suggest that if we stay calm and keep our head, there’s no reason why we can’t come away with yet another league title.

TOP TRIO

I love the bravery of Abdukodir Khusanov.

He first came into the side with little grasp of English and made a few initial mistakes, but he’s since learned from them, knuckled down in training and challenged himself.

He’s come through testing times to become of the first names in the starting XI, which is testament to not only his capabilities but the trust that’s been instilled into him by Pep Guardiola.

Nico O’Reilly is just a breath of fresh air.

He’s able to utilise those skills developed within the Academy, playing higher up the pitch to enable him to be the most exciting attacking left-back in the Premier League.

His ability to time his runs, to make really good decisions, and to score goals is quite remarkable for a player of his tender years, and the maturity he has shown in the big games is something for him – and us – to be very proud of.

He must be a certainty for the World Cup with England!

Rayan Cherki is one of those players who can excite the whole stadium.

Even the opposing fans have to take a step back and applaud some of the things he’s done.

There is a swagger to his game which is unnerving, and it’s fair to say that he can back it up.

The variety to his game, the impact he makes, and the fact that he’s still improving and learning is such a mouth-watering prospect for all City fans.

I’m sure that for this season, and for more seasons to come, Cherki will be a talking point.

He’ll be the player that we’ll turn to for that X factor when we need something pulling out of the bag to win games. That’s what he’s got in abundance.

And I’m also convinced that he’ll be one of the superstars of the upcoming World Cup with France.