Manchester City

The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 marks a historic shift in the tournament’s structure, transforming it from a brief annual competition into a fully-fledged international tournament, modelled on the format of the traditional FIFA World Cup. This expanded edition, set to be hosted for the first time in the United...

Jack Grealish’s fourth season at Manchester City has shown a conspicuous decline in playing time, raising questions about his place within Pep Guardiola’s squad. Each passing year seems to erode his role further, culminating not only in his omission from the starting XI but, at times, from the matchday squad...

Recently, set-piece analysis has evolved rapidly as teams have begun to recognise the importance of capitalising on every detail during the game. However, there is room to develop as a field in football analysis. One of the most interesting aspects is how teams have begun to manipulate the opponent by...

In the modern Premier League, success is no longer defined solely by goals and points. Tactical intelligence, data-led planning, and structural clarity have become essential in differentiating genuine progress from surface-level performance. This data analysis report utilises a combination of progressive metrics, possession models, and underlying performance data to examine...

After finishing runners-up in 1989/1990 and 2015/2016, Crystal Palace won the 2024/2025 FA Cup. This is the first major trophy in the South London club’s history, with Palace having previously had just two second-tier titles and a third-tier title in their honours list. The FA Cup trophy will now take...

The art of build-up under pressure is a fundamental aspect of modern football, especially for teams facing aggressive, high-pressing opponents. More than just a method to progress the ball, it represents a philosophy of play that transforms defensive risk into attacking opportunity. In this analysis, we’ll explore how top teams create structures, support...

The 2024/2025 Premier League season has become a tactical battleground where vertical progression and transitional threat are redefining success at the top level — this data analysis explains exactly how. In this data analysis report, we focus on how Liverpool, under new coach Arne Slot, have reclaimed their dominance with...

The Shift To 4-2-4 Formation In recent times, certain formations have become the convention for deployment, as they are conducive to meeting the tactical demands of modern football. The 4-3-3 formation, for example, somewhat phased out the regular 4-4-2 formation due to its numerical superiority in midfield. By extension, the...

With the 2024/25 Premier League season rapidly drawing to a close, attention is slowly turning towards the summer transfer window. All 20 clubs are finalising their shopping lists as they attempt to improve their squads ahead of the following campaign. However, while many managers and coaches will understandably turn to...

This tactical theory will analyse recent trends concerning how goalkeepers are utilised.  Long gone are the days of goalkeepers simply being considered the last line of defence.  They are now instrumental in implementing the tactical philosophy of the game's elite coaches.  Two recent trends that are on the rise are...

If Manchester City fans have learned anything over the last few years, it is that their team contains plenty of star names, but there are a few who they simply can’t be without. This season has been the epitome of that, with Pep Guardiola’s side losing defensive midfielder Rodri to...

Liverpool will almost certainly be in next season’s UEFA Champions League mix (with only mathematics preventing that from being a definite) and look highly likely to be joined by Arsenal. However, the race to secure the final two guaranteed places (and potentially any additional spots, should England maintain its strong...

The inverted full-back position is an ever-evolving position, and new ideas and tactics for best utilising these players are constantly being introduced. This tactical analysis will show some of the most common ways inverted full-backs are being used not just in the build-up but also to finish off attacks. Inverted full-backs can become...

What Is Overloading To Isolate In Football? Overloading to isolate is a tactical concept utilised by many coaches, including Pep Guardiola of Manchester City in the Premier League and Erik ten Hag, formerly of Manchester United and Ajax. This technique involves overloading one side of the pitch to drag the majority of the opposition...

Liverpool have overcome another hurdle on their way towards the 2024/25 Premier League title, defeating Manchester City away from home by two goals to nil this past weekend.  Arne Slot’s Reds took an early lead through Mohamed Salah from a set-piece in the 14th minute before Dominik Szoboszlai doubled the...

The play-off round of the new Champions League format has conjured up some mouth-watering ties.  None more so than Real Madrid vs Manchester City.  The last two winners of the competition will have been disappointed that they did not automatically qualify for the Round of 16. This fixture was an...

A team’s chances of success in modern football rely heavily on the qualities of their holding midfielder. Especially in the build-up phase, the ‘6’ becomes a de facto quarterback whose movements and decisions impact every other player. Technique, movement and tactical understanding are the core attributes that determine the calibre...

A La Masia gem, who moved to Porto for more minutes, is now at Manchester City for a €60M fee. In this scout report, we’ll examine key aspects of Nico González's game and how he’ll fit into City’s squad, using clips from his Porto days and his short City stint...

Andrea Cambiaso is an Italian full-back who has been under the radar for a few years but has gained significant traction over the past 12 months. Clubs like Real Madrid, Manchester City and Bayern Munich have been watching the youngster for some years now. The 24-year-old began his professional career...

AC Milan announced the loan transfer of the English international Kyle Walker a few days ago, with the option to buy five million euros in the summer, according to Sky Sports Italy. This move represents a huge upgrade for Milan regarding the right-back position since the Italian side has been...