EFL Cup 2018/19: Manchester City vs Burton Albion

With Burton making it to a major cup semi-final for the first time ever, it was more about the occasion than the game for Nigel Clough’s men. Pep Guardiola and his team looked to make sure that there weren’t any ‘cup shocks,’ which are part of the fabric of English football. This was a game between the English Premier League champions, playing with a strong starting 11, and the League 1 mid-table team. Manchester City were looking to make it two league cup triumphs in a row after their efforts last season. Only a professional performance would suffice. With the other League Cup semi-final finely poised for the second leg, this game was the complete opposite. A nine-goal victory over their counterparts has all but booked the Citizens’ place in the Wembley final.

Lineups

Manchester City (4-3-3): Muric; Walker, Garcia, Otamendi, Zinchenko; Gündoğan, De Bruyne, Silva; Mahrez, Jesus, Sane.

Burton (4-3-3): Collins; Brayford, Buxton, Turner, Hutchinson; Wallace, Allen, Fraser; Myers-Harness, Boyce, Akins.

Burton’s approach

Burton set up in a 6-3-1 out of possession. One of the main components of Burton’s approach was to deny Manchester City any space between the members of the back line. By having their wingers, Myers-Harness and Akins, adding numbers to the back four, they looked to double up on both Sane and Mahrez, to create a 2v1 in wide areas in defensive situations.

Playing three in midfield with one holding player, Wallace controlled the movement between the lines and two players playing man-to-man in midfield, with the striker Boyce playing as a player on top of the diamond standing on Gündoğan to deny space in the middle of the pitch. This approach was meant to frustrate the Manchester City players and allow them possession in front of their low block, mainly on the sides. Nigel Clough tried to force crosses from deep areas, confident in his players’ defensive heading abilities.

The image shows Leroy Sane blocked on the sides with Burton having enough numbers in the box to cope with Manchester Citys threat. Burton shuffle across the pitch to maintain the numerical advantage. The same happens as it moves to the other side. Manchester City found it difficult to switch the play and find any vertical lanes, because of the organised set up by Burton Albion.

City’s response: Two wide men the key

With Burton playing in a deep and compact shape, Pep Guardiola and his men found the perfect set up in order to pull opposition’s players out of their positions and uncover spaces to exploit. The half-spaces. The first feature of the set up was playing with two wide men who would hug the touchline. This pushed Burton to stick to their plan of doubling up in wide areas, leaving either Zinchenko or Walker unmarked in the midfield. With one player unmarked, it allowed them to control the inside channels and add extra players in the middle, outnumbering Burton at all times in the middle with a 4v3. As well as that, they were able to make unmarked runs, pulling Burton’s midfield three out of position.