Entering the 2022/23 season, a pleasant fragrance came to Manchester City, when Erling Haaland was introduced as a new player. The 21-year-old striker is so potential because he packed 86 goals from 89 Borussia Dortmund matches. A fantastic score, considering that Haaland still has a long way to go in his career. Moreover, now Haaland joins Man City who have dominated the Premier League for four titles in the last five seasons.
The thirst for the Champions League title seemed to radiate from Pep Guardiola when he brought in a potential striker like Haaland. There is a new composition that looks from recruitment, to players leaving. The most notable departures were Raheem Sterling was released by City to Chelsea for 56 million euros, and Gabriel Jesus joined Arsenal for 52 million euros. In the 2021/22 season, Sterling and Jesus became mainstay players for The Citizens. Sterling played 47 games and scored 17 goals. While Jesus, underwent 41 matches and scored 13 goals.
A puzzle in itself, how a Pep who always presents the latest variations for his team’s concoction in every season. Disassembly of players is usually done by a coach for various purposes, both regeneration and tactical.
In the 2021/22 season, City signed their most expensive player, namely Jack Grealish who was brought in from Aston Villa for a price of 100 million Pounds. His arrival shifted the position of Ferran Torres who was then released at a price of 55 million Pounds to Barcelona in the middle of last season. Although Ferran spent almost half the season recovering from his injury.
Back to using his flagship formation, Pep used more of a 4-3-3 pattern with three attackers in front. Luckily Pep has a flexible attacker and can be placed in the middle or on the wings. Phil Foden, Jesus and Sterling, are players who can be installed in the center or wing positions. Sterling can play left and right, Foden left and center, and Jesus can play in center or right. This is a wealth of its own for Pep in tweaking the attack line. In fact, Foden can be installed as a central midfielder, or attack.
City still do not use a single striker in attack, but use the second line in scoring goals last season. The dynamic of the three attackers allows two attacking midfielders to enter the half space and create opportunities. The piercing movement of the two wings, the dynamic of the center forward in opening up space, to the skill of the full back in building attacks with his overlap and cross passes.
Joao Cancelo is a left full back who has dynamic movements, both combing the field and inverted to move into the middle. In addition to having speed in attack, Cancelo’s cross is always right into the opponent’s penalty box. Reporting from Whoscored, Cancelo has an average of 82 passes with an accuracy of 85.3 percent per game. He also always packs one key pass in every game, which is 0.6 crosses and 3.9 long passes per game in the 2021/22 Premier League season. In the 2021/22 season, Cancelo managed to release a total of 10 assists in all matches.
Three City midfielders again scored goals that reached double digits. De Bruyne 17 goals, Bernardo 13 goals and Gundogan 10 goals. This makes City’s attack pattern not concentrated on one player or line. This of course makes the opponent work extra in reading space and movement without the ball.
City again won back to back champions Premier League. Pep won a brilliant nick at City for the domestic title, which was to pack four Premier League titles over six seasons. However, there is something less than Pep’s nick, namely the Champions League title. City have been kings of England for five years, but lackluster in the Champions League. Then Pep made a big change to the pattern of the game, especially up front.
The presence of Haaland as a new signing for the 2022/23 season is likely to be a change for City’s attack line. Plus, Jesus and Sterling left City. From the previous explanation, it is clear that both Jesus and Sterling are attackers with the ability to speed and have the ability to be flexible, they can be placed on the wings or in the middle.
Haaland is a striker figure with a typical poacher, or a killer figure when he gets the ball in the opponent’s penalty box. The 1.95 m posture makes Haaland an ideal figure in fighting with opposing defenders.
Moreover, Haaland is now supported by a good line of players who have good vision and passes, such as De Bruyne as a person who has good vision and final passes, as well as Cancelo who has a piercing cross into the opponent’s penalty box. This will bring back the Pep era by using a single striker or number nine in attack.
The 4-1-4-1 pattern could be replicated by Pep with Haaland standing in front and supported by his two wingers and two attacking midfielders. In defense there is one defensive midfielder, two full backs and two central defenders.
In addition to the 4-1-4-1 pattern, the 4-2-3-1 pattern could be another option with Haaland up front, one attacking midfielder, two wings, one central midfielder and one defensive midfielder in midfield. Then in the defense line again installed two central defenders and two full backs.
Then another option can also be applied with a 3-5-2 pattern, with three central defenders, two wing backs, and three midfielders (two attacking midfielders, one static defensive midfielder or one attacking midfielder, double pivot). This can be applied because City’s two full-backs are capable of both attacking and defending, such as Cancelo and Kyle Walker.
This is a possibility and a prediction of how Pep builds the 2022/23 season better than the previous season. Pep is still ambitious with his new achievements, not only domestically but in the Champions League. City’s cupboard is still waiting for the title, while Pep has not lifted the big ear trophy for more than a decade.
ASL
