FA Cup 2018/19: Manchester City vs Burnley

The recent FA Cup weekend fixtures played host to plenty of drama, but Burnley’s defeat to English champions Manchester City was almost a foregone conclusion. The Clarets drove down the M66 with hopes of advancing to the fifth round, but Pep Guardiola’s boys were too robust. City were 1-0 up at halftime but ran out 5-0 winners, the same final score from when City hosted Burnley in October. In truth, the match was over by the second or third goal. There are still many talking points to be had, and we’ll cover the most important in this tactical analysis.

Tactical preface

Manchester City are currently chasing Liverpool atop the Premier League and looking forward to a deep Champions League run. This stress would weigh heavily on many sides, but thus far Guardiola and his team have dealt with it appropriately. Sean Dyche’s Burnley are certainly no pushovers, but the Spaniard was able to rest a few of his star players, such as Sergio Agüero and David Silva.

Nicolás Otamendi and John Stones were paired together in defence, as full-backs Kyle Walker and Danilo provided width and strength in possession. The latter was particularly involved in City’s midfield buildup, while Walker used his trademark bombarding runs to stretch out Burnley’s back five.

In midfield, Fernandinho was proficient in both cutting out scoring chances and creating them himself. While Kevin De Bruyne often dropped deep in the right half-space, Ilkay Gündogan was given free reign to attack Burnley’s back line. Riyad Mahrez hugged the left flank, giving Gündogan room to operate, while Bernardo Silva was ever-present in and around the box. Gabriel Jesus made good on his chances, finding space in behind Burnley’s defence multiple times.

Dyche did not put out his strongest XI, but it’s hard to blame him. Burnley are a mere three points clear of relegation, so the FA Cup is not his main priority. Strike duo Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes were so crucial in Burnley’s win over West Ham in December, but they made way for an extra defender and sole striker Matej Vydra.

Goalkeeper Nick Pope was chosen ahead of Joe Hart and Tom Heaton and had a good match despite the final score. Burnley’s traditionally solid defence was too easily split open on Saturday, with James Tarkowski unable to inspire his backline to the task. Dwight McNeil’s tricky wing play was a talking point coming into the match, but City’s exceptional defence managed to stifle Burnley’s creative wide man.

Manchester City advance through possession

For a side such as Burnley, one that restrains space in the box but lets its opponent control the game outside it, ceding three-quarters of the game’s possession is a part of the plan. This is especially true against a remarkable side such as Manchester City equipped with the likes of De Bruyne, Bernardo, and Gündogan. However, City’s possession wasn’t just passing around the back. They were proactive, efficient, and effective.

Sean Dyche’s main goal in forming Burnley so defensively was, obviously, to restrict the amount of touches Jesus, Mahrez, and other City attackers could have close to goal. They were somewhat effective in the sense that the Blues failed to drive directly down the heart of Burnley’s team, but City were not aiming to do so. Instead, it was quick lateral movements that blew open Dyche’s game plan and, with it, the score.

In the shot above, we see how City transferred from a base 2-4-3-1 to more of a 2-3-5. Walker and Danilo are tucked in with Fernandinho, while Gündogan and De Bruyne have moved further up, between Burnley’s midfield and defence. Burnley’s four midfielders deny all passing opportunities to the central attackers, but Manchester City’s number six realizes this. Fernandinho switches the ball to the left, which sets off a chain reaction that Pep planned from the beginning.

The ball