There will have been many raised eyebrows from Manchester City fans when Pep Guardiola's team selection for the 2-1 defeat at Chelsea was announced an hour before kick-off.
The biggest news was that captain Vincent Kompany was back in the starting lineup, after spending the majority of the season sidelined with injury.
However, there was another shock, as the manager opted to give Fabian Delph his first Premier League start since Manuel Pellegrini had taken the team to Southampton, suffering a 4-2 defeat in May 2016. The manager had been crying out for a midfielder that could replicate Yaya Toure's passing and ability to take a stranglehold on the game to stop City being overrun.
Against the league leaders, knowing that Toure's veteran legs were likely to struggle, the manager put both Delph and Fernandinho in the middle. It worked to an extent -- the visitors didn't find possession difficult to come by, but they didn't create that many clear cut chances either.
When Delph began Saturday's match against Hull -- where he scored the third in a 3-1 victory -- few could deny that he deserved the chance, and it marked his first back-to-back Premier League starts for the club since January 2016.
There's always been an air of scepticism about what the England midfielder is capable of since his will-he-won't-he transfer saga in the summer of 2015, which ended with a move to the Etihad roughly a week after he'd said he was staying at Aston Villa.
Perhaps it's because he joined from a struggling side. Or maybe it's because of his minimal impact with the national team and his fairly senior status at 27. Or possibly it's because it was a relatively low £8 million fee that City had paid compared to their other transfers.
Whatever the reason, he's been treated as a bargain bucket type player ever since his arrival and many fans have seen him as someone who plugs a gap; a homegrown player that can do a job here and there when needed, but nothing special to write home about.
His time with City has been hampered by injury and he's never been available for either Pellegrini or Guardiola for a consistent run, but there's still the feeling that even if he had been then he would probably not have played much more than he has already.
However, every time he's pulled on the shirt for City, he's been a solid and consistent performer. He's not got the passing ability and midfielder presence of Toure (who has?) but he's far better at the job than he gets credit for. His work ethic can't be questioned and when he's on the ball it's very rare that he makes a bad choice.
Guardiola loves his team to work openings by drawing opponents out of position and moving the ball quickly. Delph's ability to cope under pressure and then find a teammate could make him a good fit for the Catalan manager's team next season. The midfielder is happy to receive a pass when he's marked and has both the mental and physical strength to deal with what his opposite numbers throw at him.
While not a prolific scorer, the midfielder has also proved useful in front of goal. It's worth remembering that his four goals for City have all come in matches he's started -- and he's started just 19.
The assumption that Delph will either be a useful option at left-back next season or will simply be sold on as Guardiola continues the revamp of his new side could be way off the mark. The midfielder's homegrown status means he's already at a little advantage, but his usefulness with the ball and when City are out of possession could have impressed the manager thus far.
When the Catalan told the prematch news conference ahead of the victory over Hull that he'd been impressed with Delph's performance at Chelsea and that maybe he "deserves more minutes," perhaps that was Guardiola conceding he may have made a mistake in not picking him more frequently when available?
Delph was never going to be a headline signing for the club and it was low-risk given the transfer fee City paid to bring him in from Villa. However, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him grow into his role in the first team between now and the end of the season.
He certainly deserves the chance and of all the players who are fighting for their future at the club, Delph could be the one who may have a more pivotal role under Guardiola next season than many would previously have thought.