There is more than one kind of captain in the modern game.

Manchester City have six, and they're not all the 'barking orders' kind of leaders. Kyle Walker takes his duties seriously, and Ruben Dias isn't afraid to call out teammates, but on the whole the leadership group is more a 'lead-by-example' style of captaincy.

Leadership comes in all sorts of ways. Kevin De Bruyne was the popular choice to replace Ilkay Gundogan in 2023 but didn't want the administrative duties disrupting his pre-match Candy Crush session. Rodri and Bernardo Silva lead in their own unique ways, too. It is the same in the academy, too.

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Kaden Braithwaite - who made his senior debut earlier this term - led the under-18s out for the start of their FA Youth Cup defence, yet you barely heard a peep from the left-back amid the howling wing and swirling rain. That's not a criticism, as he didn't put a foot wrong.

There was one voice that pierced through Storm Darragh. Kian Noble didn't have the armband, but he didn't need it. The confident centre-back played a key role in last season's Youth Cup triumph, setting up one goal in the final and seeing a goalbound header snatched from him on the line.

Noble brushed off any disappointment of being pushed out of the headlines by treating a huddle of journalists to a charismatic interview at the Etihad that night, comfortable in his own voice and confident in his own abilities.

Noble trained with England's senior team last season when they were a man short and he was suspended for the under-17s. He has been in first team training at City, too, but was overlooked for the pre-season tour in the summer and Guardiola has played six other academy centre-backs in friendlies or through the season.

That suggests he is still a long way from the manager's plans, which is understandable at 17 and this will be a big season for him, stepping up for the under-18s this season and getting more experience in the UEFA Youth League for the under-19s. There is plenty of time, and still much to achieve in the academy.

Against Palace, he was not captain, yet was ordering teammates around, demanding standards remained high in the middle of stormy conditions, and marshalling the defence. He barked orders at substitute Dan Batty, and when the next attack came, the winger was more central and got the winning goal. This wasn't an evening for pretty football, just winning.

Not every City academy player will make it at the Etihad. Plenty have long careers elsewhere in the Premier League, or in the lower leagues and around Europe. It will do a centre-back no harm at all if they can take City's passing style to another club - but they also need to be good, solid defenders in difficult conditions.

This was a chance for Noble to enjoy defending. He looked right at home in the heart of a storm and you get the feeling wherever he plays football at a senior level, he will wear the armband at some point in his career.

Even if it doesn't, it won't stop him barking orders.