Manchester City looking at another clear tactical shift

Pep appears to have done it yet again - and it is brilliant

Pep Guardiola is always a step ahead of opposing managers. Last season he used a box midfield to great effect moving John Stones (currently injured) into a role where he played effectively as a 6, creating a double pivot with Rodri. This formation fired City, after an indifferent start to the campaign to a historic treble, which included a third-successive Premier League title.

As a result sides adjusted to what City was doing. Arsenal’s summer signings of Kai Havertz and Declan Rice were clearly efforts by Mikel Arteta to copy the tactics of his former boss, using Oleksandr Zinchenko in the Stones role - a tactic Guardiola had used on occasion when Zinchenko played for City.

Other sides have reacted to City’s box, by setting up a higher midfield trapping press that created errant passes by City defenders and midfielders, resulting in quick turns of possession and potential goal scoring chances. In particular, Brentford and Brighton had success with this tactic against Manchester City (and others) last season.