Have Manchester City provided the blueprint of a long-term roadmap to success for Leeds United?

Let me just start with an introduction, this article was a collaboration with a long time friend of mine named Phil Miles, Phil is a former Opta Analyst & Freelance Football Journalist just like me, we both are long time Leeds United fans and worked on this post together. Here to start things off is Phil looking at Manchester City.

We will then move onto similarities between us and City, I have provided in depth tactical analysis of the Cityzens playing style while Phil has gone more into the behind the scenes analysis.

You can find Phil at https://www.patreon.com/PhilMiles92 & https://twitter.com/PhilMiles92

I hope you enjoy.

Opposition Focus: Manchester City

Behind the scenes.

As Manchester City charge ahead with their construction of a domestic dynasty akin to their city rivals’ domination of the early years of the Premier League era, recent interviews with Leeds United Bigwigs Angus Kinnear and Andrea Radrizzani have continued to outline the long-term vision of the ownership at Elland Road.

For the best part of two decades Leeds and City have been on almost perfectly opposing trajectories; the Whites brief flirtation with the Champions League riches sending them on a downward spiral to League One and back, meanwhile City’s rise through the leagues saw them transformed from also-ran’s to big dog’s with the aid of Sheikh Mansour’s millions.

Back in the same division for the first time since the West Yorkshire sides relegation in 2004, drawing parallels between a newly-promoted side and a team which has claimed two of the last three Premier League titles, whilst threatening to run away with another this time around, would usually be the stuff of fantasy.

However, the recent announcement of further investment from Radrizzani’s stateside partner, 49er’s Enterprises provided an opportunity to gain a more comprehensive understanding of not only the current structure in place in LS11, but also the long-term vision and ambitions of those spearheading the clubs’ operations.

That announcement on January 25th declared the American investment company behind the NFL side San Francisco 49ers had increased their shareholding in Leeds United from 15% to 37%, and 49ers president Paraag Marathe has become the newly-appointed vice chairman.

There has been little secret made of Radrizzani’s ambition to transform Leeds into a club that challenges for European football ‘within three seasons’. In the famous words of Kinnear on Amazon’s Take Us Home: Leeds United documentary, senior figures at Elland Road had no appetite to be “dicking around with the play-off’s” back in 2018/19. In other words, Leeds’ owners want them back where they were before everything went wrong twenty years ago; in Europe.

With growing investment comes increased influence, but having the benefit of joint enterprising with another sporting giant is the step in the right direction Leeds supporters yearned for during the destitute days of Ken Bates, Massimo Cellino and GFH Capital’s tumultuous spells in the boardroom.

Reading between the lines of the recent interviews with the likes of Radrizzani, Marathe and Kinnear, what is understood to be the long-term vision of the club is multi-faceted; growing the club as a business enterprise to promote financial sustainability combined with a primary focus of investing where necessary to provide the imperative groundwork to meet their ambitions on the field.

How both criterions intend to be met is a fascinating vision, and realistically, Leeds are already well on their way to fulfilling their potential by possessing the perfect employees to fill key positions; the chairman and the board for off-field matters, and the manager, sporting director and playing staff for on-field matters.

Marcelo Bielsa and Victor Orta are widely revered as the best parents in Yorkshire, having together created the perfect storm with a wild blend of madness, enthusiasm and passion. Leeds currently lay claim to boasting one of the greatest club manager’s in the world, and could also argue they possess one of the most effective sporting director’s, in Orta.

At board level the vision is clear; Radrizzani has been looking at purchasing other football clubs to emulate the successes of other global sporting conglomerates such as the City Group bankrolled by Sheikh Mansour, and the infamous Red Bull sports group.

City Group’s original aim was believed to be to boast a football club on each continent, meanwhile Red Bull have teams in multiple sports across North America and Europe. It is worth noting there are other Italian football owners attempting to emulate this with less success, Watford’s owners the Pozzo family having tried to do a similar thing whilst co-owning Udinese and Granada. However, Watford were relegated back to the Championship last season.

The benefits of these off-field ambitions is obvious, growing the club financially and guaranteeing a repeat of the gloomy days Leeds fans endured for the vast majority of the 21st century should not reoccur. Meanwhile, the on-field benefits can come through sharing players, staff and scouting networks. Former Watford striker Stefano Okaka, (now of Udinese) is a prime example of how players can be retained and transferred between ‘sister clubs’.

The parallels with Watford thankfully stop here, in stark contrast to the Pozzo’s stereotypical tendencies to swap manager’s at least once a season, Bielsa is now into his third season at Elland Road; the longest spell in charge of any club side in his managerial career. Both Bielsa and the club have already begun to speak about the Argentine continuing in his role next season, and hopefully for the foreseeable future.

Bielsa has provided encouraging signs in recent interviews with regard to his attitude towards the long-term project in place at Leeds. And, with the team producing on the field, in their first season back in the top flight, the focus has now inevitably begun to switch to the upcoming summer and next season.

While Leeds’ business model represents similarities between themselves and Manchester City, the Whites have taken inspiration in other areas from other successful clubs in England and in Europe. This is certainly the case for Leeds’ transfer strategy, as the club are not currently in a position to emulate the investment strategies of a club like City.

Leeds’ transfer strategy is largely handled by Orta, Kinnear and Bielsa himself. The trio appear to be basing their reshaping of their recruitment model more on that of Leicester City than Manchester City. The Foxes have notoriously spent wisely and sold on burgeoning talents for a substantial profit under the stewardship of their Thai ownership, King Power. The likes of Riyad Mahrez, N’Golo Kante and Harry Maguire have all shot to prominence in the East Midlands before being sold on for astronomical profits.

As much as Leeds fans might not forgive the thought of selling key players such as Raphinha, Kalvin Phillips and Illan Meslier, there is proof in Leicester’s pudding that it can provide a sustainable transfer strategy. Raphinha and Meslier both arrived from France for transfer fees that can only be conceived as bargains, but if substantial offers were to come in for them, don’t be surprised to see Leeds sell for the right price regardless of their potential.

Leeds’ ever-growing financial clout does mean they are no longer the ‘selling club’ they previously had to be under the tutelage of Bates, Cellino and co. However, there is a difference between selling out of necessity and selling out of choice. The ill-received departures of promising academy-grown talent, the likes of Fabian Delph, Lewis Cook and Charlie Taylor were required to keep the club afloat. Selling a Raphinha or a Meslier would not be.

In Orta and Bielsa, Leeds also possess two of football’s most meticulous men. Attention to every detail is key for both. Kinnear is recently quoted as stating that Leeds have a transfer wish-list, comprising of five ideal players for each possible position, if and when Bielsa should wish to strengthen his squad.

With that in mind, recent signs from the Athletic’s Leeds United specialist Phil Hay attributes the Whites with a possible intention of making five key signings in the upcoming summer transfer window, as the squad looks to complete its evolution from Championship to Premier League quality.

Some much-loved familiar faces might be on their way out of the club as part of this necessary exercise, but exciting incomings will certainly be forthcoming in equal measure.

While Leeds cannot compete with City on a financial level at this moment in time, as Leicester have shown with their own relative successes in recent seasons, a sensible transfer strategy can provide the platform for the Whites to compete with the perceived ‘Big Six’ in years to come.

City pretext:

Liverpool’s capture of their first Premier League title in thirty years last season seemed to suggest Jurgen Klopp’s men had finally halted the domestic dominance of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

City’s failure to become only the second side to win three consecutive Premier League titles, and the first since the days of their fiercest rivals were treble champions with the help of some of the world’s best upcoming talent in Cristiano Ronaldo & Wayne Rooney between 2006–2009, left Guardiola under scrutiny.

Sir Alex Ferguson managed it twice in his long reign at Old Trafford, the first of the two domestic trebles beginning with that European treble in 1999. Current manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer played a vital role alongside the starring cast of the Class of 92’.

Where Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho had previously provided the test to Fergie’s United, Guardiola’s City now threaten to become one of the greatest sides in Premier League history.

The Cityzen’s recorded back-to-back titles, registering two of the three highest points tallies in the divisions history, the other was recorded by the Liverpool side that ultimately finished second to City in 2017/18 with 97 points (the highest total of any side not to win a major domestic title in any of Europe’s top five leagues).

After a trophy-less first season at the Etihad, Guardiola’s status as the world’s best club coach, a title he was last officially awarded in his Barcelona days (2010), appeared to questioned. The Catalonian’s response was to guarantee trophies in each of his subsequent three seasons at the helm; including a monopolization of the Football League Cup (Capital One/Carabao), which sees this current City side aiming to make it four from four in the final against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley in April.

However, the stick repeatedly used to beat Guardiola with is the absence of a Champions League Trophy at Eastlands. The club has been happy to remind supporters this is not the only objective, and Guardiola appears to continue to have a healthy relationship with the project as a whole.

This stint in Manchester is now the longest Pep has remained at any one club in his managerial career. After leaving his boyhood side as a player, it’s also the longest he’s stayed at any club as a player or a coach since 2001, when he left Barcelona to join Serie A side Brescia.

Neither Pep nor City have won a Champions League since his departure from Barcelona in 2011, with Guardiola failing to secure a continental trophy in his three years at Bayern Munich.

City finished second last season, albeit by some distance, and did bring home an FA Community Shield to keep the Caraboa Cup trophy company. However, the departure of club legend David Silva, only a year on from the retirement of his former skipper, Vincent Kompany was expected to be a big blow.

Phil Foden, long-touted as Silva’s successor was expected to be given more responsibility in the Spanish magician’s absence, meanwhile there was still a keen eye on who could replace former captain, Kompany. And, would we start to see the phasing out of another City legend, in Sergio Aguero.

Many believed City would bounce back with a title challenge this season, although some doubted whether or not they, and also Pep, were finished. Keeping the likes of Kevin de Bruyne and Raheem Sterling fit, along with the form of Ederson was highlighted as being imperative to any title tilt.

With Leroy Sane gone, more responsibility was bound to fall on the likes of Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva. But, with a finely assembled squad of talent and a world-renowned coach, did they again possess the right attributes to lead them back to domestic glory?

On the pitch.

Watching Manchester City steamroller their way towards a third Premier League trophy in four seasons, while keeping alive a pursuit for an unprecedented quadruple including the Champions League, might make the upcoming question sound mildly far-fetched, but are City playing out Leeds United’s long-term ambitions (albeit with the benefit of ten years’ work laying the foundations for their success, alongside a monumental chasm between the two sides in terms of financial clout)?

At the time of writing, City are on a twenty-one match winning streak in all competitions and looking likely to secure a place in the Champions League quarter-finals and FA Cup semi-finals, before their Carabao Cup final with Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley in April.

Meanwhile, Leeds have virtually secured their place in the top-flight with twelve games to spare, sitting comfortably in mid-table and looking to consolidate their place in the top-half of the Premier League table.

City look back to their brilliant best under Pep Guardiola, while Leeds also look to be firing on all cylinders under Pep’s self-professed mentor, Bielsa. The story of the two men’s meeting on Bielsa’s ranch in his native Argentina in 2006, when Guardiola was taking his first steps into coaching with Barca B, is the stuff of legend, and the differing trajectories between the two coaches also draws intriguing comparisons.

While City boast the best defensive record in the division, Leeds possess one of the worst; only West Bromwich Albion have conceded more goals at this stage of the season. Although, the question these stats pose is will Leeds’ defensive record look like City’s at a later stage in the project’s development? Would they concede less goals by simply buying the better players their natural progression dictates they are likely to sign in the coming seasons?

While defensively there is a stark contrast not in only in terms of the style, but also the numbers behind the two sides performances, they have considerably more in common with regard to their attacking outputs. City are inevitably one of the best attacking sides in the division, second only to Manchester United. Meanwhile, Leeds rank fifth for goals scored behind Liverpool and Leicester.

The two coaches are not the same. Whilst both have similar fundamental beliefs with regard to pressing and possession, it’s important to note these beliefs manifest themselves on the pitch in different manners.

And, with Bielsa employing the only man-marking defensive system in the division, it’s obvious that Pep and Bielsa definitely defend in contrasting fashions as well as attacking in slightly different ways.

In terms of stylistic approach, whilst there are differences, both managers appear to believe the best method of attacking is by defending from the front; pressing the opposition defence high up the pitch and quickly winning the ball back in transitions before attempting to create goal scoring opportunities through a heavily possession-based philosophy. And, also to defend by attacking; having more possession and applying high pressure as a way of preventing opportunities.

But, what specific aspects of Bielsa and Pep’s game are similar?

Former Opta analyst and freelance sports journalist Martin Riley takes a look at some comparisons between Manchester City and Leeds United, in terms of the formations and tactics used by their respective managers, Pep Guardiola and Marcelo Bielsa.

Analysis.

As things stand, Manchester City are not only a supremely sexy attacking unit, they also have the tightest defence in the league; only conceding 17 goals in 27 games. The closest when it comes to shutting out opponents is Chelsea, who have conceded 25 goals in 26 games.

When it comes to attacking, City are also ranked 1st in the league having scored 56 goals in 27 games. However, Manchester United are closer to matching City’s output with 53 from 26, albeit they have conceded a lot more goals (32).

Formation-wise, City have mainly used two formations; 4–3–3 & 4–2–3–1. Pep Guardiola has gone with a couple of variations on a three-at-the-back formations too, but I feel those were experimental in response to specific oppositions.

Pep’s City began the season using mainly the 4–2–3–1; in the opening twelve fixtures he used this on seven occasions, and in total across the whole of the season he has used it in nine matches.

This is how they look in a 4–2–3–1:

In the second half of the season Pep has used the 4–3–3 with increased regularity, and I feel this is his preferred formation. But, he will still make changes based on individual opponents with differing threats. He has used the 4–3–3 formation the most, opting for this in seventeen matches and he has used it in the last twelve Premier League fixtures without variance.

This is how they look in a 4–3–3:

The players displayed have played the most games in the allocated positions, but there have been other players used. Joao Cancelo has been used at both left-back & right-back with increasing regularity (nine appearances at LB, eleven appearances at RB, plus three appearances in central-midfield). Cancelo is to Pep Guardiola as Stuart Dallas is to Marcelo Bielsa; he is the Portuguese army-knife slotting wherever on the pitch Pep needs him to be.

In addition, Phil Foden has played in numerous positions in the attacking third; with twelve appearances on the left, five in the middle, three on the right & even twice upfront. It is clear Pep likes his players to be versatile, I wonder who he picked that up from?

Pep’s side looks to keep hold of the ball as a priority, building up from the back and keeping hold of the ball, not risking turning the ball over to the opposition in the process. City have completed the most passes per game in the league with 625 completed passes p90; they use this to build up slowly and then enter the opponents half where they dictate the game. In addition, they pass long less than any other team with only 15% of their passes exceeding 30 yards.

They create a lot of chances through individual brilliance courtesy of a number of outstanding creative players; in particular, they focus their play in the middle of the park. They play a lot of through balls to try to unlock oppositions playing low blocks, and don’t often create chances from crosses having the 2nd least completed crosses in the league with only 1.16 per90.

An example of the central creation is below; De Bruyne picks up the ball in the middle of the park, and plays a delightful ball to Mendy who finishes superbly. It could be argued that De Bruyne wasn’t intending Mendy to shoot and to pass the ball back into the middle, but either way if Mendy had shot or passed chances are that a goal would’ve been the end result and De Bruyne fashioned a dangerous situation.

Another way City create chances is with ball carries into the penalty area; they carry the ball into the area more than any other team with 8.6 carries into the Penalty Area p90. Three players stand out in this respect: Mahrez, Sterling & Foden. These three individuals account for 6.8 of the squad’s carries to the box which is 79%, all having very similar shares of this stat.

Above we see a prime example of excellent ball carrying from Raheem Sterling; he picks up the ball and takes the ball far into Tottenham’s box, then after a couple of passes he gets the ball back and completes another small dribble, before he slots in Gundogan to score.

City are the leaders in the Premier League when it comes to GCA(Goal Creating Actions) & SCA(Shot Creating Actions) via dribbles; creating 9 goals and 55 shots from dribbles. Clearly this is a key way they create their chances, and will no doubt help when they face a packed box.

A secondary result of the way City play is that they don’t concede many chances against them; they keep hold of the ball more than any other team in the league. With 64.4% average possession, they are actually 2nd in the Top 5 European leagues for possession, only bested by Barcelona with 65.4%, and if you have the ball the opposition can’t create chances.

City have only allowed 17.9xGA(Expected Goals Against), which is joint 1st in the Top 5; tied for 1st with LOSC Lille in France (although they have played one game more). But, as a counter, Barcelona who are top for possession have conceded 7 more goals & a total of 25.9 xGA, which is a good number higher than City. So, clearly just keeping hold of the ball isn’t enough.

In addition, City have a number of very capable defenders. Firstly, I want to look at Joao Cancelo; below you can see his scouting report per FBREF, he’s City’s most productive player for Tackles & Interceptions combined, and holds up very well against the rest of Europe.

In central defence, City have two very capable defenders in John Stones & Reuben Dias. However, as you will see below, they rank very low compared to other Centre backs in Europe in terms of defensive contribution. This, in my opinion is a sign of how little Man City’s defenders have to do in comparison to a lot of other defenders.

However, when we look at their passing stats, it’s clear why they have been so effective in keeping hold of the ball, and progressing further up the field, which is City’s way of defending, by attacking.

In addition to the above, City also have a shot stopper in Ederson who is doing a damn fine job at keeping the ball out of his net. Ederson has faced 15.3PSxG(Post Shot xG) and has conceded only 13 goals(Not including Own Goals), meaning he is performing at +2.3PSxG+/- and this includes 5 penalties; as a result he’s only conceded 8 Non Penalty goals.

On a cursory glance you could think there is quite a lot in common between the two sides; both play attacking football, both play possession football & both teams employ a high press.

However, these similarities on the whole are pretty superficial. As I have already commented on, City play a lot of their football in the middle of the park and build up slowly. The opposite is true of Leeds, who use the wide areas to build up attacks and generally attack quickly when able to do so, and don’t always pass short like City do.

Both teams try to keep hold of the ball, but City are much more possession hungry than Leeds. Generally speaking, the Whites take more risks with their passing than City do; which leads to more turnovers to the opposition, hence why they concede a lot more goals than City do.

Lastly, both employ a high press, although Leeds’ press is Man-to-Man pressing with a +1 man superiority in defensive areas & a -1 inferiority in attack. Whereas, City press with a much more zonal system, where they apply pressure when players enter their assigned area.

Now let’s move on to the similarities; the first thing I can see is Pep Guardiola’s use of his Left back, in particular Joao Cancelo. There are parallels between Cancelo & Stuart Dallas. Both players have made appearances at Right Back & Left back.

Both of these players are right footed, and when they play at Left back in particular they operate as inverted full backs giving support in possession to the midfield in build-up.

As we can see above, when Cancelo plays on the left he has much more involvement in the middle of the field than when he is on the right. The same is true for Dallas, although Dallas does have some appearances at CM which will influence his heat map.

Secondly, we can see similar trends with the other players who have played LB for both teams.

So let’s see how this looks in game.

We see at the start of the clip the ball is played wide to Tyler Roberts, and as soon as this ball is played we see Dallas make a run forward, attacking the half space between RB & RCB. The attack doesn’t come off, so he moves back, but the option is there should we need it.

In the above clip we see the ball passed to Mendy, who immediately dribbles with the ball into the centre, past his marker and launches an attack.

Both teams use the players at their disposal to create similar actions; albeit it with Leeds it is through passing and off ball movement, whereas City (with their superior ball carriers on the left flank) use dribble’s to open up space.

Here we see the ball is played to Alioski, who played above Dallas in Left Midfield. Alioski is more central at present though and Dallas moves forward on the flank and then cuts inside and ahead of him, this is really clever movement and gives a good option. Dallas then stays in the final third for the attack, which ends with an off target Alioski effort.

The second similarity I can see is both teams looking to find half spaces in the final third; I will show a few examples where both teams look to exploit the spaces between opposition CB’s & Fullbacks.

Here in this clip we see Costa attacking the half space between LB & LCB, Bamford attacking the one between RB & RCB & Klich attacking the one between both CB’s. Bamford starts his run towards the space that Klich ends up occupying creating space that Klich moves into, Ayling then plays the ball to Klich who in turn plays it to Bamford ending in a goal, which was disallowed due to Bamford’s arm being in an offside position.

In the above clip we see De Bruyne on the ball and a number of his teammates are in good attacking positions. On this occasion De Bruyne picks the wrong pass, some other things he could have done have been indicated.

The final similarity I will comment on is a simple one; versatility. Both coaches like their players to be able to play in multiple positions. Here’s some examples from both teams of positional versatility.

In conclusion, there isn’t that many similarities between Leeds United & Manchester City on the pitch. Although, there is some similarities about what they expect from individual positions and/or players on the pitch.

Both coaches expect a high level of commitment to “The process” and as such there isn’t much in a way of a “Plan B” should “Plan A” not work; if Plan A doesn’t work then Plan B is to do Plan A better.

However, despite there not being a lot in common between the sides in the way they attack, they both do play football in an attractive way; always positive and on the front foot, neither Leeds nor City’s fans will be disappointed in the way their sides approach games.

As a newly-promoted club, Leeds should take pride in these similarities, because not many clubs can keep up with a side on City’s level without a significant financial investment, or in Leeds’ case a significant amount of effort by coaches & players; Bielsa the key part of that.

Season overview:

City, along with neighbours United, started the campaign with the benefit of an added weeks rest as a reward for their European exploits from last season. However, that rest has meant Guardiola’s side have spent the majority of the season a game behind the rest of the league, and perhaps as a result of that, their average league position has been dictated by the making up of rearranged fixtures.

City finally caught up with their peers after an away win at Goodison Park on February 17th. The 3–1 victory over Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton opened up a ten-point gap at the top of the Premier League.

But, Guardiola’s side endured a seemingly difficult start to the season, collecting four points from their opening three league games, including a 5–2 thrashing at the hands of Leicester City and a 1–1 draw away at Leeds United.

Since the heavy defeat to Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester, City have lost only once in all competitions, going unbeaten in their Champions League group containing FC Porto, Marseille and Olympiakos, whilst advancing to the latter stages of both domestic cup competitions.

That defeat came to one of Guardiola’s old nemeses, in a 2–0 defeat away at Mourinho’s Spurs. An unbeaten run of sixteen league games has followed, including an astonishing twelve successive wins. That run includes victories away at Liverpool, Everton, Chelsea and Arsenal, along with revenge over Tottenham at home.

City are into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, where they face another away trip to Everton, after breezing past Birmingham City, Cheltenham Town and Swansea City in the three previous rounds.

And, as previously mentioned, City set up a Carabao Cup final clash with Spurs in April thanks to a 2–0 Manchester derby win at Old Trafford in the semi-final’s having previously dispatched Arsenal, Burnley and Bournemouth.

City currently sit ten pointsclear of United and Leicester atop the Premier League table with thirteen games to go. And, after a 2–0 away win in the first leg of their Champions League last sixteen tie with Borussia Monchengladbach, City look set to challenge on all fronts as we progress into the latter stages of the season.

That victory in Germany was City’s nineteenth successive win in all competitions, they have since gone on to stretch that run to twenty-one straight victories.

Rating: A*

Key player focus:

Ilkay Gundogan

The white-hot in-form streak enjoyed by January’s Premier League Player of the Month, Gundogan has been vital to City’s ongoing success.

German international, Gundogan registered all eleven league goals and two assists between the 1–1 draw at home to West Brom on December 15th and the 3–0 win over Spurs at the Etihad on 13th February.

Including his assist in the FA Cup fourth round victory over Cheltenham, the 30-year-old posted fourteen goal involvements in fourteen appearances in all competitions.

It’s worthwhile to remember that Gundogan missed City’s first three league games, along with the two preliminary rounds of the Carabao Cup after testing positive for coronavirus. A groin strain also kept him out of the recent league fixture with Everton at Goodison Park.

The former Borussia Dortmund midfielder is certainly experiencing his most prolific spell since his arrival in England in 2016/17. His previous best season came in City’s second successive title-winning season under Guardiola in 2018/19; a season in which he posted his highest output in terms of minutes played (2,135), yet only managed six goals and three assists from his thirty-one appearances.

Gundogan has been deployed in varying roles for City this season, but mostly as a central-midfielder in either an attacking 4–3–3 formation, or occasionally as a deeper-lying defensive midfield player in a more pragmatic 4–2–3–1 system.

It’s fair to say the Turkish-born, German international is enjoying life under Pep at City. This is his most prolific season since scoring fourteen goals for VfL Bochum’s under-19’s in 2007/08.

And, you can be certain Gundogan will be adding to his 42 caps for Germany if he remains fit to participate at this Euro 2020, having infamously missed his country’s World Cup win in 2014 due to a spinal injury.

John Stones

The apparent reincarnation of former Everton defender Stones has been pivotal in maintaining the league’s best defensive record. With an astonishing 2.91 points per game, statistically speaking there’s an argument to be made that Stones is City’s most important player.

An injury-ravaged 2019/20 campaign saw Stones register just 1,584 minutes in all competitions, a total he surpassed this season after the 3–0 over Tottenham in mid-February. But, reinvigorated and revitalized, bar the goalless draw at Old Trafford, City have won every game Stones has played this season in all competitions.

During the peak of City’s winning streak, the former England international even popped up with an exceptionally rare brace during the 4–0 win over Crystal Palace at the Etihad in January. His only other Premier League goal came for Everton during the 2014/15 season.

Stones has formed an impenetrable centre-back partnership with £65 million summer signing Ruben Dias, limiting Aymeric Laporte (the supposed successor to Kompany) to only nine Premier League appearances. Only two of those sixteen absences were reported as injury-related.

City have kept a staggering nineteen clean sheets in Stones’ twenty-three appearances this season. And, that stat would be more impressive had Guardiola not introduced Stones as an 89th minute substitute in 3–1 Champions League group stage win over FC Porto in October.

Based on his club form this season, it is surely becoming an inconceivable suggestion that Gareth Southgate would not take Stones to this summer’s European Championships, despite him having not featured in any Three Lions squad since November 2019.

On course to win any number of trophies this season, as City look to continue their monopolization of the domestic game, Stones should be pushing for a place in the starting line-up to face Croatia in the group opener at Wembley in June.

Verdict

So, there you have it.

Quite frankly, Manchester City are back to their effervescent best under Pep Guardiola this season. Not only in terms of results, but the quality of their performances (highlighted by the stroll over Monchengladbach in the Champions League) has again highlighted City as not just candidates for major honours this season, but likely favourites.

Injuries have notoriously plagued some of City’s closest rivals this season, but the Cityzens have been without some of their key players for large parts of the season.

While Ederson, (3,880), Dias (3,809) and Rodri (3,701) have completed the most minutes in all competitions , it is testament to Guardiola’s side that they have maintained their form despite the diminishing influence of the likes of Kevin de Bruyne (2,056) and Sergio Aguero (331) due to injuries.

City have often played without a recognised striker this season, and therefore, it’s no surprise to see a real emphasis on the collective rather than individuals to contribute goals and assists. Raheem Sterling, Ilkay Gundogan and Phil Foden are all into double figures already this season, while de Bruyne has miraculously contributed fifteen assists despite his lack of game time.

At the other end, Ederson boasts a league-high fifteen clean sheets, while City have the best goal difference in the division (39) by a distance, largely owing to possessing the best defensive record in the Premier League. After 27 games City had conceded only seventeen goals, eight less than Chelsea (ranked 2nd for goals conceded).

It’s clear that while there are differences in playing style between the Sky Blues & The Peacocks that there is still plenty of similarities. Off the pitch there is potential for Leeds to have a similar rise albeit in a different fashion to the way City have done so, both clubs have an enigmatic head coach with unique tactical ideas and a passionate fanbase.

Thanks for Reading.