Premier League finally returns. After Bundesliga being the first league to return, followed by La Liga last week, England’s top-flight competition joined the party with their Project Restart. To be fair, the return started exceptionally. A hugely controversial event at the Villa Park just hours prior marked the return of...
The use of half-spaces is not new, but they gained more prominence in the football vernacular during Pep Guardiola’s time as Barcelona’s head coach, where he frequently referred to using them. In this tactical analysis, I will provide a brief overview of the tactical theory on how half-spaces can be manipulated to advance the ball. We...
Full-backs do not traditionally dominate the headlines, but they are more important than ever in the modern game. Over the years, the roles and positions around the full-back position have definitely evolved. A manager who has played a massive part in this evolution is Pep Guardiola. This tactical analysis examines...
Now two of the most exciting managers in England, Marcelo Bielsa and Pep Guardiola have admired and influenced each other for a long time. When the Argentinian arrived in England, Guardiola said Leeds United had the best coach in the world. Bielsa has often spoken very highly of the Catalan...
Since his arrival back in July 2011, Sergio Agüero has scored at least 20 goals in every season for Manchester City except the 2012/13 campaign. Agüero currently has 23 goals this season before football stopped due to the worldwide pandemic. However, the Argentine will be 32 years old this summer....
Two Premier League games were postponed because of the first English major trophy final in 2020: Aston Villa vs Manchester City. After 90 minutes, Pep Guardiola’s men retained the English League Cup at Wembley. Manchester City had a good start, as Phil Foden set up Sergio Agüero’s goal at 20th...
This Sunday we have the first (second depending on where you stand on the Community Shield debate) silverware up for grabs in England. The EFL Cup Final has arrived once again this season. On one side, a club whose appearance in this match has become somewhat of an expectation in...
Former Manchester City assistant manager, Mikel Arteta, became the new Arsenal manager. This was the first time the former Barcelona academy player was appointed as a first-team coach. However, the Spaniard already had experience in coaching in the Premier League, as, in the 2016/17 season, Pep Guardiola authorized a match for...
There's nationwide excitement when the international break eventually finishes and the Premier League campaign resumes. The headline of the returning matches came from the Etihad, where Manchester City - who were desperate to maintain pressure on the league leaders Liverpool - faced a dangerous Chelsea side, who under Frank Lampard...
After two weeks of the international break, Manchester City met Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park resuming their Premier League campaign. Just before the break, City dropped points at home after losing to Wolves extending Liverpool’s lead in the league to eight points. Considering the fine margins by which the previous...
Manchester City are coming off an incredible 2018/19 season. Pep Guardiola led his team to a domestic treble, winning the Premier League, the FA Cup, and the League Cup. It seems difficult to see where this Manchester City team can improve, but with a big signing already made, Guardiola seems...
In the last round of the English Premier League Brighton welcomed Manchester City for the match that was decisive in the battle for the trophy. The away team needed a win to secure their spot at the top of the table and to go back to back in winning the...
Both Liverpool and Manchester City battle neck to neck in the race to the English Premier League title with very little margin for error. In the final half of the season, City faced Burnley at Turf Moor in a must-win situation for them to stay in contention with their rivals....
Manchester City managed to keep their race for the Premier League title on with a comfortable 3-1 win over Crystal Palace. The game was made comfortable for them thanks to Crystal Palace's compact, passive approach which saw them rarely move out of position and press Manchester City. City almost had...
Manchester City came out on top against Brighton on Saturday to send themselves into the FA Cup Final in May. An early goal from Gabriel Jesus after a wicked ball in from Kevin De Bruyne was enough to give the Citizens a 1-0 victory. The match itself was somewhat lifeless,...
Wembley Stadium is set to host Brighton and Hove Albion and current Premier League champions Manchester City in the semi-final of the FA Cup. As Man City continue to fight on all fronts, they will surely have an eye on the first leg of the Champions League quarter final tie with...
It is one of the oddities of football that sometimes you can become a victim of your own success. This was the case for Manchester City and Pep Guardiola as they faced Chelsea in the EFL Cup Final. A matter of weeks ago we saw City comfortably overcome their opponents...
The race for the Premier League title was almost over a few weeks ago when Manchester City lost to Newcastle. A few weeks later, everything looks different. Pep Guardiola's team are back on top, although they have played one game more than Liverpool. On Sunday, Liverpool hoped that the Citizens...
It's that phase of the season again when Chelsea’s predictable tactics have begun the five-time Premier League winners' slide out of the very upper reaches of the league table. Whether under the supervision of a defensively minded manager like Mourinho or an attack-minded one like Sarri, the Blues eventually get...
Manchester City hosts Chelsea on Sunday in a game equally important for both teams. On one side, the Citizens are need points to keep up with Liverpool in the title race. On the other, Chelsea desperately need a top-four spot so they can reserve their place in European competition. After a...
