False No9s are in; free roles, with the exception of Mesut Özil, are out; back threes are making a comeback; and pressing is en vogueA few years ago possession was the most discussed concept in football. Since then there has been a shift from a possession-based approach and more attention paid to pressing. Mauricio Pochettino’s Southampton and Tottenham sides pressed in advanced positions to win the ball quickly, Klopp popularised counter-pressing, winning the ball immediately after it has been lost, and Guardiola also emphasises the importance of closing down in advanced positions. Related: Tammy Abraham, Pontus Jansson and the Championship’s most eye-catching players | Nick Miller Continue reading...
Arsenal’s title hopes are on hold, Tony Pulis is hoping for money in the January transfer window and Loris Karius is keeping Jürgen Klopp happy Related: The Dozen: the weekend's best Premier League photos Continue reading...
Pep Guardiola’s demands that Sergio Agüero contributes more towards winning the ball back – and it is the same for Diego Costa at Chelsea – shows that the role of the striker is no longer confined to scoringWhat is a centre-forward? It is a question that is far harder to answer now than it used to be. The suggestion that Pep Guardiola may not be entirely happy with Sergio Agüero seemed at first bizarre. How, realistically, could a player of his ability, his goalscoring capacity – 109 league goals in five seasons at City, despite injuries – be doubted? For a modern striker, though, goals are only part of it.“It is not about how many goals he scores because we’re...
Pep Guardiola sowed the seeds for this performance in the first half in the Camp Nou a fortnight earlier, and the landmark victory over Barcelona showed his side are ready to establish themselves at Europe’s top tablePeople laughed at the idea that Manchester City played well in their first game against Barcelona two weeks ago. But they lost 4-0, it was pointed out. They ended up with 10 men. They handed Lionel Messi his latest Champions League hat-trick on a plate. All true, yet City did play well in the Camp Nou, between their various defensive mishaps they showed a willingness to get at Barcelona and make chances. If that was a sign of a new tenacity under Pep Guardiola...
The Argentinian striker may not have scored against Barcelona but Pep Guardiola would have been delighted by his relentless all-round gameSergio Agüero dominated the fallout from Manchester City’s defeat in Barcelona without setting foot on the pitch for 79 minutes and he eclipsed Lionel Messi in the return at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night without getting on the scoresheet. The reaction of City’s gifted Argentinian was everything Pep Guardiola desired and demanded on their landmark victory in the Champions League.The final touch eluded Agüero against Luis Enrique’s spell-binding yet defensively fragile team but, strangely for an outstanding goalscorer, that kept the focus on where the striker needed it most. His work rate, movement and creativity have all been brought...