The Brazilian’s strength and movement up front are enabling City to play the sort of football that made their manager famous in the first placeManchester City have already beaten Swansea twice this season and at the Etihad they normally manage to score a few goals against Sunday’s opponents, though Pep Guardiola is aware things have changed under Paul Clement and recognises that a team capable of winning at Anfield might offer more resistance than West Ham’s impression of a doormat in midweek.Just when it appeared the final placings within the top six would be settled by the results of games between top six sides, up popped Watford and Hull at the Emirates and Old Trafford respectively to suggest otherwise. Related:...
In a game between two sides using high defensive lines, runs in behind the opposition were always likely to be crucial … and controversialThere are many similarities between the footballing philosophies of Pep Guardiola and Mauricio Pochettino, and for the second time this season, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur contested a fast-paced, exciting game based around pressing and high defensive lines. Whereas Tottenham ran out 2-0 winners in October, however, City failed to translate their superiority here into three points.Guardiola has often played a 4-2-3-1 in recent weeks but on Saturday used a 4-3-3 – and an extremely attack-minded 4-3-3 at that. Leroy Sané, Sergio Agüero and Raheem Sterling played high up the pitch, pressing Tottenham’s centre-backs, while David Silva...
Spurs are at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday and Pep Guardiola needs the City team who overcame Arsenal to turn up not the one humbled 4-0 at EvertonLess than a fortnight ago, the day after Manchester City’s 5-0 demolition of West Ham United away from home in the FA Cup, the Sun produced one of the more inspired back pages of the season in honour of the performance. “MC Hammer!” the main headline screamed, accompanied by a picture of David Silva complete with speech bubble reading: “You can’t touch this.”It all seemed completely in order. Pep Guardiola’s side had just made the most emphatic of statements to restore some of the belief that went missing in the new year fixtures,...
The club chased the Catalan for four years so why has he inherited an ageing squad, and will he change his ways after the drubbing at Everton?A big question mark hovers over the Pep Guardiola-Txiki Begiristain axis that controls who Manchester City buy. The latter is the sporting director and he does more than merely sign off his head coach’s demands. Begiristain has substantial influence in transfer strategy though he takes Guardiola’s lead so the manager has to accept ultimate responsibility for the errors so far. Related: Pep Guardiola rules Manchester City out of title race after Everton thrashing Related: Everton teenager Tom Davies ensures Pep Guardiola knows his name | Paul Wilson Continue reading...
The 18-year-old midfielder made his first start of the season only a fortnight ago but played with a maturity beyond his years as his side crushed Manchester CityPep Guardiola knew this fixture was going to be hard but felt his side would show the benefit of a full week off in which to prepare. Manchester City had enjoyed that five-goal romp at West Ham United in the FA Cup on Friday 6 January, whereas Everton had played on the Saturday and been dumped out of the only competition remaining open to them by Leicester City. Related: Ademola Lookman adds flourish for Everton in defeat of Manchester City Related: Pep Guardiola rules Manchester City out of title race after Everton thrashing Continue...