Tinkering with football tactics and coming up with new innovations is nothing new to Pep Guardiola.
He has altered his tactics a number of times at Manchester City, the most recent of which came in the FA Cup semifinal against Nottingham Forest at Wembley.
Manchester City won the match 2-0 to book a place in the final. Rico Lewis scored the first of those goals, but it was his playing position that surprised many.
Rico Lewis Played as the False Nine for Manchester City
Lewis started as the false nine in the Cityzens’ 4-2-3-1 formation. The young Englishman has played as a hybrid full-back before, but leading the line was definitely something new for him.
With Matheus Nunes constantly overlapping through the right flank, Manchester City’s formation often shifted to 3-5-2, with Savinho shifting inside to partner Lewis upfront.
Lewis also managed to score what was his fifth goal for his club with a shot from the edge of the penalty box. Joško Gvardiol then scored the second goal in the second half to seal the fate of the match.
Jack Grealish started in the role of a No. 10 for the City, as Guardiola’s men kept playing short passes to spread the ball around and keep possession.
However, Nottingham Forest hit the woodwork thrice in the match and were somewhat unlucky to miss out on scoring a goal.
Nico O’Reilly had another lively outing and Mateo Kovačić and Bernardo Silva did their job in the midfield to help the Cityzens towards a victory.
In the first half, the Manchester City defenders employed the offside trap really well but started defending really deep after the break.
Guardiola has already done a wonderful job with his makeshift full-backs, but the idea to utilise Lewis as a front-man was really ingenious.
The 20-year-old right-back has failed to book his place in the starting XI even in Kyle Walker’s absence.
Nunes, who is a more physical player than Lewis, has used his athleticism really well to make the position of right-back his own in the recent past.
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Hopes for a Silverware Still Intact
The Cityzens booked their place in the FA Cup final on a day Liverpool won the Premier League title.
While Arne Slot’s men have been the deserving winners, Man City can still finish the season with a trophy by beating Crystal Palace in the final next month.
If City are able to win the trophy, which they are expected to do, it should salvage the season somewhat. They have suffered a lot since Rodri’s injury last September that forced the Spaniard out for the rest of the season.
However, Guardiola still has a job to do with regard to finishing inside the top four in the Premier League.
His team lies in the fourth position in the league table with 61 points in 34 matches.
Manchester City will play against Wolves and Southampton in their next two Premier League matches, winning both of which will help them significantly in their pursuit of a top-four finish.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Sportsphoto
Recording Date: 27.04.2025