Pep Guardiola successfully implemented his newest experiment in Manchester City’s 1-0 win over Southampton in Premier League at the Etihad Stadium last Saturday, October 26. Erling Haaland scored the only goal of the match from Mattheus Nunes’ cross from the left flank.
Playing Nunes on the left flank was a fresh idea Guardiola came up with and the former had a good match against the Saints. However, there is another thing that should keep the Manchester City manager concerned.
Left-footers Prevalent in City’s Attack
In the absence of arguably their two most important players in Kevin de Bruyne and Rodri and also because of İlkay Gündoğan’s off-form, the Cityzens’ attack is now loaded with left-footer players. Each of Haaland, Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva and Savinho is predominantly left-footed, which makes Manchester City’s attack slightly lopsided.
The fact that Nunes also played on the left and delivered the all-important cross, made Manchester City even more predictable. With Kyle Walker not playing and Rico Lewis,his replacement, switching to the midfield often, there was dearth of a player who could deliver crosses from the right flank. Savinho, who played on the right, also preferred to cut inside with his left foot only.
Until de Bruyne comes back into the team, that problem is going to affect the English champions. De Bruyne’s ability to shift to the right flank and deliver crosses from the half space on the right is something that Manchester City is missing a lot these days.
Playing Walker as the right-back is the only way in which Manchester City can add some symmetry to their attack at the moment. However, Walker cannot play in a hybrid role like Lewis and hence, playing him will mean that the Cityzens will have to compromise in some other way.
Most of the teams do not play open football against Manchester City these days. Hence, they decide to crowd the penalty box, which makes it necessary for the Cityzens to rely upon crosses from the flanks. Therefore, any lopsidedness in their attack is not going to help their cause.
Manchester City is Still Reasonably-placed
It is testimony to Manchester City’s squad depth that the club is still placed at the top despite the absence of its two key players. The likes of Savinho, Jérémy Doku, Nunes and Mateo Kovačić have all been doing their job pretty well.
The Cityzens will have to play against Bournemouth, Brighton & Hove Albion and Tottenham Hotspur in their next three league matches, while also facing Sporting CP in UEFA Champions League in between.
All those matches are very important for Manchester City in terms of shaping up its season. The title will not be won or lost in the few upcoming weeks, but any advantage gained in the said period might go a long way towards attaining a decisive lead in the league table.
Guardiola will not be willing to concede any significant lead to either Liverpool or Arsenal within the next month or so. It remains to be seen whether his men are able to perform up to the expected level.