Manchester City faced a nervous Rotherham side, whose manager Paul Warne held little expectations against Man City for the third round of the FA Cup. His game plan was to have his players go and enjoy themselves and hope to surprise Pep Guardiola’s Man City. Guardiola, in contrast, held a more serious disposition for the FA Cup in midst of a hectic winter:
“We are going to play the FA Cup game (against Rotherham) like a final.”
The Etihad finds itself a busy venue with this fixture being the second of four consecutive home games. It’s obvious that Guardiola has faced bigger challenges than grabbing a win against Championship strugglers Rotherham. He accommodated squad rotation to avoid injuries, and auditioning for replacements of key positions in his system. This tactical analysis examines Citys massive 7-0 win with a focus on upcoming non-regular players showing great potential.
When Guardiola’s City face teams that do not counter-press and sit in a deep defensive block, members of the defensive line have greater license to dribble into the half-spaces looking to thread passes into dangerous spaces around the opponent’s penalty box. The attacking midfielders constantly slip into space in front of the opponent’s defence to pin them and play wall passes. The wingers hug the touchline to stretch play.
Oleksandr Zinchenko
With City’s current left back problems, 22-year-old Oleksandr Zinchenko has a golden opportunity to challenge for a first-team spot. The Ukrainian indeed proved himself in this game with a remarkable performance. As one of Guardiola’s inverted full-backs, Zinchenko occupied flanks or the half-spaces, depending on his teammates’ positions.
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