How Guardiola made Man City title contenders again - tact...

What’s Happening

Listen up: After their Premier League domination came to an abrupt end last season, how has Pep Guardiola changed things tactically to bring about Manchester City’s recent revival?

How Guardiola made Man City title contenders again - tactical analysis Image source, By Umir Irfan Football tactics correspondent Published 8 minutes ago Comments Midway through the season, Manchester City sit two points off Premier League leaders Arsenal with both sides having clutched 12 of their 17 league games so far. After last seasons not it campaign, when the club that had clutched six titles in seven years only secured third place on the final day of the season, and a difficult start to the current campaign that saw them lose two of their opening three games, Pep Guardiolas team have roared back into form. (it feels like chaos)

There is a widespread belief about what a Guardiola team looks like, but every league title the Spaniard has clutched has been secured with a unique system.

The Details

The current version of Manchester City is unlike anything we have seen from them before though, so just how has Guardiola reinvented his team tactically? What Citys new XI looks like Over the past few weeks, Pep seems to have settled on a side that looks like this: Image source, BBC Sport Image caption, In possession, Citys preferred starting XI looks like this The only real change seen to this City side is when Tijjani Reijnders plays in Jeremy Dokus absence, with the Netherlands midfielder taking Fodens central position and the England man moving to the left.

Lets take a close at what these 12 players have been asked to do. Why two attacking midfielders at full-back work When Guardiola reinvents his system, changes are made based on the players he has rather than a predetermined idea of what system he wants to play.

Why This Matters

City have options at full-back this year - Nathan Ake offers a pure defensive profile, as he did in Citys Treble-winning season, while Rayan Ait-Nouri and Rico Lewis give City positional versatility and attacking quality in small spaces.

The sports world never stops delivering these kinds of storylines.

The Bottom Line

This story is still developing, and we’ll keep you updated as more info drops.

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