Manchester City are flying high in the Premier League.

Pep Guardiola's side are on course to win their third title in the space of four years and they will also be one of the hot favourites to win this season's Champions League.

City's slick attacking play has well and truly returned of late, with the table-toppers demolishing Liverpool 4-1 at Anfield last weekend.

But this time around, their talented forwards are protected by the most menacing defence in European football right now.

The signing of Ruben Dias has galvanised the team as a pragmatic unit, as has the form of his teammate and countryman, Joao Cancelo.

After an indifferent debut season in English football, the versatile Portuguese right-back has developed into a serious contender to be labelled the PFA Player of the Year.

Cancelo celebrates

Cancelo has been nothing short of incredible, performing equally well on both the right and left-hand sides of City's defence.

His quick feet and eye for a pass have also seen him move into midfield during games with effortless ease, just like Dani Alves used to do under Guardiola's leadership at Barcelona.

After watching his stunning highlights from the 2020/21 season so far in the video below, it's almost impossible not to think that the City manager has found his new Alves - and that's something that should terrify rival fans.

Cancelo's highlights

The best full-back in the world right now? We think so!

Cancelo can do it all. He dribbles past opposing full-backs for fun, can play passes worthy of Kevin De Bruyne and does not shirk away from his defensive duties - as proved by his masterful handling of Liverpool's Mohamed Salah.

"Cancelo = Technique, right foot, left foot, goals, passing, between the lines, shots, tackle, crosses, skills, CM, RB, LB, intelligence, vision," one Twitter user aptly replied to the above footage, which has gone viral on the social media platform.

"Dude came outta nowhere and shut down all those 'Trent GOAT RB' shouts'," another football fan added.

Unsurprisingly, Cancelo is currently ranked as the Premier League's best defender over on WhoScored, the 26-year-old boasting an impressive combined rating of 7.40 from his 17 appearances, the eight-highest among all players in the division.

The £32.4m-rated star took his time adjusting to the harsh demands of English football, but for Guardiola and City fans, it was well worth the wait.