2013/14 Season

During the 2013/14 Premier League season, Manchester City played some wonderful attacking football. The City manager at the time, Manuel Pellegrini, set up his squad with one objective in mind, to score goals. At the time, City often played with two strikers, Aguero and Negredo, two attacking midfielders, Silva and Nasri, two central midfielders, Toure and Fernandinho, two centre-backs, Kompany and Demichelis, two full-backs, Kolarov and Zabaleta, and a keeper, Joe Hart. David Silva and Samir Nasri, the City attacking midfielders, would start out wide on the flanks and then would move towards the center of the pitch during attacking moves. In addition, Zabaleta and Kolarov bombed up the pitch when City had possession in order to provide width. Silva and Nasri are two players that do not rely on pace to create opportunities, but their fantastic dribbling and ability to pick out passes. So, when Silva and Nasri got on the ball out wide, they would move towards the middle of the field as Aguero, Negredo, Zabaleta, Kolarov, and even Yaya Toure made attacking runs. This tactical approach worked wonders for Manchester City as they scored the second most goals ever in a Premier League season.

Manchester City’s build up play in the 2013/14 season involved a fair amount of vertical passing from Zabaleta and Kolarov directly to Silva and Nasri. This meant that Silva and Nasri would typically receive the ball with their back to the opposition’s defender and goal. The City full-backs would overlap Nasri and Silva on the wings, which would draw the opponent’s full-backs away, and leave space open in the middle of the field. Nasri and Silva would move horizontally into the middle of the field and would then look to play a through ball to find one of City’s many attacking runs.

2015/16 Season

Last season, City stopped playing with two strikers and played with two out and out wingers and an attacking midfielder playing centrally. Because their formation shifted, City’s buildup play differed slightly. City still relied upon vertical balls from their full-backs to their wide players, but instead of drifting towards the center of the pitch, City’s wide players would stay wide, and either play a through ball to the overlapping full-back, play a pass into the center of the pitch to City’s attacking midfielder or central midfielders, or cross the ball into the box hoping for Aguero to get a touch on it. Once again, because City’s wingers received the ball from their full-backs, they would get on the ball with their backs towards the opposition’s defenders and goal. Raheem Sterling, one of Manchester City’s wide players, excels at beating players one on one with his pace and dribbling ability. Unfortunately for him, Pellegrini played him in a system where he first and foremost had play intricate passes, and his ability to run past players was secondary.

2016/17 Season

This year, Manchester City’s build-up play goes through the middle of the field, not out on the wings. Under Pep Guardiola, when the City full-backs receive the ball, they don’t immediately play the ball to City players on the wings, they play it to City’s central defenders or central midfielders. Once Manchester City’s central players get on the ball they are the ones who look to play passes out to the wings. Instead of receiving the ball from vertical balls, City’s wide players now get the ball from horizontal passes and diagonal through balls. So, instead of receiving the ball with their back towards the opposition defense and goal, Manchester City’s wingers now receive the ball facing the middle of the field or the opposition’s goal. Manchester City’s full-backs have also stopped relentlessly overlapping this season. This puts the attacking onus on City’s wide players to create chances individually. But, for players like Raheem Sterling, that is ideal.

Sterling has been fantastic under Pep Guardiola. Instead of receiving the ball with his back towards the opponent’s goal and being asked to play with overlapping full-backs, he has been given freedom to run at the opposition defense. Every time he gets on the ball there are spaces for him to run into. Pep Guardiola’s tactics have given Sterling the ability to shine as an individual, compared to Pellegrini’s system that relied upon his capability to link up with the City full-backs. Combine that positioning with his pace, dribbling quality, and newfound confidence in front of goal and it is easy to see why he has become one of the Premier League’s top players.