Benjamin Mendy´s roles against Huddersfield

Silva takes the ball and dribbles towards the defence. The Spanish midfielder plays a great game so far and participates at every attack of Manchester City. Consequently, Huddersfield´s defenders try to block the way towards the goal and the winger attacks Silva in order to stop him.

Silva passes the ball to the left side where it gets crossed in. Sergio Agüero is positioned where a good striker has to be and scores his third goal of the day. The cross was played by Benjamin Mendy. The young man from France played a great game and was responsible for a few goals during City´s successful 6:1 home win against Huddersfield.

After a complicated ACL injury, the defender from France is like a new signing for the team of Pep Guardiola. With him, Guardiola has a new option for the left-back position. Or as a left winger? Or has a left halfback? Which position and role Mendy even play in that Manchester City team?

Everyone who follows the work of Pep Guardiola knows that the Catalan man not only changes formation constantly. He also changes the position and role of his players between games or even during a single one.

With Benjamin Mendy Pep now has a new option for different roles at the left side. The French defender has a unique skill-set in City´s squad. His pace, dynamic and technical abilities seem to be similar to Kyle Walker´s attributes. However, Pep Guardiola uses Walker more as a centre-back or inverted fullback. In contrast to Mendy who covered the whole left side alone in their victory against Huddersfield. This game showed Mendy in different roles and positions. In this piece, I am going to show you how City used Benjamin Mendy in that game.

Benjamin Mendy the winger

City started differently than against Arsenal the week before. This time Pep Guardiola changed the system in a way which allowed him to start both strikers Sergio Agüero and Gabriel Jesus. Furthermore, they played with only one “official” winger in Bernardo Silva who isn´t really a winger either. Officially Manchester City played without a left winger.

Consequently, Benjamin Mendy had to occupy the left side on his own. In possession, he stayed pretty wide trying to stretch Huddersfield´s defence shape. City´s wide wingers help them to either use the wings to attack or to find space in the centre of the pitch.

On the left side, Mendy got supported by Laporte, Gündogan and sometimes Gabriel Jesus which created a nice structured shape on the left wing.

As you can see Stones who played as a right-back against the ball was more like a higher halfback in possession while Mendy stretched the defence of Huddersfield. Thinking that Mendy was less of a threat than Bernardo Silva was a mistake Huddersfield made. Because they didn´t value Mendy as a proper threat their fullback concentrated on staying centrally.

City moved the ball quite well and was able to push Huddersfield back to their own box. Due to the lack of pressing of Huddersfield and the good ball movement of City they could switch the play easily to Mendy who then had space to attack.