Eleven
points clear atop the Premier League and on an unprecedented 16-game winning
run, Manchester City have produced one of the most stupendous half-seasons
in
English football history.
At the same
stage last season, City were seven points below eventual champions Chelsea in
third place and finished the campaign 15 points off the pace.
AFP Sport
looks at what manager Pep Guardiola has done to turn City from also-rans into
world-beaters.
Finding the
right goalkeeper
The boldest
move Guardiola made in his maiden season at the Etihad Stadium — axing
long-serving goalkeeper Joe Hart — proved his least successful.
Hart’s
replacement, Chile international Claudio Bravo, proved ill-suited to the unforgiving
cut and thrust of the English game and his error-strewn displays cost City
multiple points.
Guardiola
took a punt in the close season, authorising a £35 million ($46.8 million, 39.6
million euros) move to sign uncapped Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson from Benfica,
but it has been a masterstroke.
The
23-year-old is a sturdy presence between the posts and, perhaps more
importantly, his superb distribution has enhanced City’s capacity to play out
from the back.
Making an
ally of adversity
After City
shelled out close to £100 million to sign Kyle Walker and Benjamin Mendy,
Guardiola began testing out systems in which the width in his team was provided
by the full-backs.
But when
Mendy ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in a 5-0 win over Crystal Palace
in late September, he had to change tack.
Guardiola
recalibrated his team by deploying Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane wide on each
flank and the pair have responded with some scintillating performances.
Mendy’s
misfortune has also opened the door to Fabian Delph, who has excelled in an
unfamiliar left-back role.
Having faith
in his methods
In a prophetic
remark from the end of last season, Guardiola said: “The team understands the
ideas clearer now and next season we will go all out.”
His first
season in England was a gruelling experience as he finished a campaign without
silverware for the first time in his managerial career.
One-sided
mid-season defeats against Leicester City (4-2) and Everton (4-0) exposed
City’s shortcomings and Guardiola was mocked for saying he was “not a coach for
the tackles”.
A less
storied coach might have gone back to the drawing board, but Guardiola
responded by going further in the same direction, convinced City could succeed
playing his kind of football.
His
conviction has paid off spectacularly.
City’s
dazzling possession-based approach, orchestrated by the brilliant David Silva
and the peerless Kevin De Bruyne, has yielded some huge wins and a staggering
56 league goals.
Improving
key players
John Stones
endured a difficult first season at City, but Guardiola stood by the elegant
centre-back, defending his right to take risks in possession and praising his
courage on the ball.
Guardiola’s
faith has been rewarded this term as Stones has blossomed into one of the
finest defenders in the Premier League, decisive in the tackle and
authoritative in possession.
Nicolas
Otamendi, long derided for his propensity for going to ground too easily, has
prospered alongside him, meaning Vincent Kompany’s ongoing injury problems have
not unduly affected the team.
Sterling,
meanwhile, is belatedly fulfilling his vast potential, his new-found
effectiveness in front of goal making him City’s top scorer with 15 goals.
Instilling
belief
City’s
football over the season’s first three months was jaw-dropping and when they
lost momentum, the players’ belief in Guardiola’s methods allowed them to
continue grinding out results.
Between late
November and early December they eked out four 2-1 wins in succession, with three
of those secured by goals scored in the 83rd minute or later.
“The most
important thing within this team is probably the belief in the dressing room,”
Sterling told the BBC recently.
“The manager
sets a plan for each game. He gives us the blueprint. Then you can see everyone
else buying into it. Everyone is on board.”
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