I think the City game was the most I'd been impressed with him so far. Not just because of the fancy flicks, those were just the byproduct of his confidence, but his movement was sublime. I find that when we play with Rak (and Xavi), you notice them a lot more than Raf/Ini, both make runs into the box a lot more, and the City game was the perfect example of that. He was making some really great runs, pulling them all over the place, exuding his presence around the pitch. It really was the man we need in midfield. My only gripe is he can be a bit hasty on the ball, but whatever, his importance lies elsewhere.
If we're to continue under Lucho's iteration, Rakitic will be very important. He adds a ton to our game.