How Guardiola made Man City title contenders again – tactical analysis

Manchester City are two points clear of Arsenal in the Premier League with both teams having won 12 of their 17 league games so far this season.

Pep Guardiola’s team have come back into form following last season’s disappointing campaign, when the club, which had won six titles in seven years only managed to finish third on the final day of the season, struggled to start the campaign and lost two of their opening three games.

Although there is widespread consensus about how a Guardiola team looks, the Spaniard has won every league title with a unique system.

Tijjani Reijnders’ substitution, in which Jeremy Doku is playing, leaves Jeremy Foden in the center and the England man in the left.

Guardiola’s system is changed when it is based on the players he has rather than a predetermined system design.

This year, City have options at full-back: Rayan Ait-Nouri and Rico Lewis offer positional versatility and attacking quality, just like he did in City’s Treble-winning season, and Nathan Ake offers a pure defensive profile.

However, Guardiola instead fills those roles with Matheus Nunes and Nico O’Reilly, in part because they can move quickly and cover long distances in both attack and defense.

They can defend both defensive duels and counterattacks with ease due to their physical appearance.

They also have the option of acting as attackers high up the pitch, typically in one of two ways.

Both full-backs can play wide, allowing City’s wingers to pivot centrally, a tactic that has proved very effective this season.

Both fullbacks can either wingers play a wider position or both can underside them, pressing into dangerous areas centrally.

Guardiola’s wingers have been replaced this year, and this has been a good thing partly because of how versatile full backs are.

Guardiola has given players like Doku, Rayan Cherki, and Foden the ability to play close-quarter positions in some games.

There are a few reasons for this change, including the fact that we now have a much greater freedom to roam and interact with one another.

Guardiola platforms his players according to their strengths in response to the principle we established at the start of the piece.

Cherries manager Andoni Iraola said: “Cherki and Foden can play one-touch even when you are tight and you don’t allow them a lot of spaces.” Their coordination is incredible.

This season, both of the players mentioned have both accomplished impressive goals from outside the box.

The addition of many bodies in the middle of the pitch makes it easier for City to press or win second balls.

If City lose the ball out of hand, numerous players in the middle of the pitch block opponents’ attempts to move down the middle. The number of risky counterattacks City’s defenders are facing is reduced by this.

Under Guardiola, City generally prioritized ball possession and slower play in order to maintain control and energy while reducing turnovers and chances conceded.

Although this is still a top priority, City has started to attack more quickly this season.

Guardiola has attacked quickly and from a long distance, using Haaland, Foden, Reijnders, and O’Reilly’s strengths.

In addition, City have scored more quick breaks this year than they have in all of their 23-24 and 24-25 seasons combined. Their total of 27 fast breaks this season is more than any other Premier League team.

This is likely in response to the rise in intense man-to-man pressing, which is also attributed to the players’ skill sets.

By playing long and direct, it is possible to avoid the pressure from the opposing forces and take advantage of the space that opens up high up the pitch.

It appears that the changes are working because City have won seven of their previous eight Premier League games, but Guardiola has unwavering standards and sees potential weaknesses.

He was unhappy despite winning 3-1 against West Ham.

He said, “If the players were in their positions, we could create more and concede less,” suggesting that he wants his players to occupy particular areas of the pitch in a similar way to what we have seen from City in the past, at least when playing against a team like West Ham.

Another example of him praising City’s intensity came from the same news conference where he praised the intensity of the city, perhaps wanting to gradually reintroduce more well-known ideas.

“I love how much we run,” he says of the previous season. However, it won’t suffice; instead, we must play better to allow us to run less.”

Guardiola seems to strike a balance between allowing his team to choose the most exciting, innovative tactics and maintaining the structure and control of previous seasons.

Without paying attention to detail, City did not win four league titles in a row under Guardiola, but their impressive squad, combined with the number of solutions he can now choose from, all add up to a promising position.