City's best XI have played 0 minutes together this season
City's best XI have played 0 minutes together this season
Pep's City have paired together numerous unique XIs this season but there is one combination that is far more deserving than the 0 minutes it's been given. I discuss why it may be City's best XI.
Another relentless Manchester City win streak ended recently as Antonio Conte’s Tottenham picked up 3 points against the league leaders amidst otherwise questionable form. Football is a funny thing.
The results Manchester City have achieved over the last few months have been nothing short of remarkable but there is a suggestion that, when compared to their perfect high standards, performances in recent games have dipped slightly. I would probably agree with this assessment.
Jack Grealish, off the back of an impressive 20/21 campaign at Villa and a hefty price-tag, slotted into the City side as a starter as the season began whilst (soon-to-be Premier League Player of the Month) Raheem Sterling had his turn on the bench. John Stones returned from the Euros a short while after Aymeric Laporte, whose generally strong form has kept him in the side ahead of the Englishman. Kevin De Bruyne struggled with injuries and a Covid-19 infection before finding himself as a starter mid-December at the expense of Ilkay Gundogan’s minutes and Mahrez’s good form paired with Gabriel Jesus’ recent injury has meant the pendulum has swung too, on the right side of attack.
It is clear that with so many technical, adaptable, moving pieces of the puzzle there are a myriad of starting line-ups and systems somebody with as much tactical acumen as Guardiola, could deploy. There’s a lineup with 0 minutes played this season though, that theoretically seems to lack any glaring weaknesses. Quite probably a side that isn’t the 11 best individuals, but (for me) acts as the best collective of 11 players City could deploy.
The 0 minute XI:
Ederson.
Cancelo, Stones, Dias or Laporte, Zinchenko.
Bernardo, Rodri, Gundogan.
Jesus, Foden, Sterling.
There are one or two exceptions you can make. These are covered towards the end.
City vs Brugge: (4-1)
The closest City have got to a side similar to this one was in a 4-1 win against Brugge in the Champions League this season.
In the 69th minute, Grealish and Mahrez were substituted as Guardiola introduced Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus, leaving Foden on as the third attacker. One piece of the machine had been assembled.
The midfield behind them was the formidable trio of Gundogan, Bernardo and Rodri that were mainstays as City broke the English top-flight win record in the season prior. The second piece of the machine was in place.
The defence behind them didn’t include Zinchenko but Stones and Laporte were placed between Cancelo at LB and Kyle Walker at RB. For my proposed XI, the defence is probably the most interchangable part. The final part of the machine was in place, slightly altered, but more than sufficient sort of like those iPhone chargers that give you a ‘this accessory is not supported by this device’. (Yes it is).
It took 3 minutes for City to score once Jesus and Sterling came on. Foden to Gundogan who played a low cross for a trademark box finish for Raheem Sterling — an utterly fluid dismantling of the Brugge defence.
Raheem’s goal was the first after a noticeable goal drought. If this system and it’s personnel were enough reignite his scoring form so suddenly, there is added credence to its potential.
In the 80th minute, Zinchenko was brought on for Kyle Walker although Bernardo Silva, the engine of this 0 minute machine had been substituted in between. This moved Cancelo to RB with Zinchenko occupying the LB position.
City’s 4th goal came from RB Cancelo playing a one two, driving from out-to-in, drawing three defender towards him before appropriately laying off Gabriel Jesus who curled the ball into the bottom right corner. The pieces fit together.
Justifying the XI:
Admittedly there isn’t a huge sample size for this XI (0 minutes this season, I cannot believe it) so we have to assess the relationships and dynamics of these players, together, in the aforementioned isolated ways whilst pairing them with theory, sensible assumptions and games from the 20/21 season.
The goalkeeper:
Ederson picks himself. Big Brazilian man kick ball so good.
The centre-backs:
Moving onto the defence, the non-negotiable here is John Stones. It may come as a surprising assertion but Stones’ performances since December 2020 when played are second to none.
I hold his skillset, it’s completeness, and the quality of all of those included traits as one that is unmatched by any defender in the league.
For Premier League centre-backs, at a minimum, John Stones plays a top 2 or 3 passer from CB, a top 3 carrier of ball and a top 3 pure defender, who is comfortable defending the box and the transition starting at the half-way line.
Additionally Stones is the centre-back with: the best aerial duels won % in the world over the last 365 days (84%) whilst being in the 99th percentile for pass completion (94.8%) and total progressive carrying distance per 90.
The Englishman only drops down to the measly 98% percentile when we look at fouls committed for central defenders. At 0.4 fouls committed per 90 minutes, Stones doesn’t give the opponent’s attackers a chance to buy a free-kick, allowing City to sustain pressure incessantly, another key tool in breaking down determined low-block sides. Given the risky high-line system he plays in, conceding so few fouls is particularly noteworthy.
Pair these wildly impressive numbers in the context of his performances…the eye-test, and you begin to understand why it is necessary Stones is afforded the opportunity to flourish as a starter in this City side again.
John Stones has developed leadership traits over the course of his City tenure but often slots in as the secondary CB. This might read like a negative but it plays as the antithesis in-game. John Stones has at points of his City career formed strong pairings with Kompany, Otamendi, Laporte and Dias. For City’s CBs, Stones seems to be the one that forms a complimentary relationship with a new partner the most easily.
Stones is willing to listen to the instructions of his captain in the backline and is both comfortable playing as a front-footed or sweeping CB. He decides which action to take depending on his partner and historically, the LCBs have all been aggressive front-footed CBs — Kompany, Otamendi, Laporte and Dias. In that sense, with the front-footed ‘dog CBs’, Stones’ ‘cat’ prototype and his ability to drop off and sweep up dangerous attacks effortlessly contributes to a extremely balanced pairing.
The left centre-back alongside him can be either Dias or Laporte. Both are, in the truest sense of the term, elite centre-backs. Profiling them highlights their differences but ultimately both have their uses and City are spoilt in this department.
Dias is the best pure defender, without a doubt. It’s hard to quantify this through stats but qualitatively, performances like those against PSG last season and how he handled Neymar in particular, are some of the most impressive pieces of defending I can recall. Dias also plays with great consistency and is a vocal leader and great captain type. In comparison to the otherworldly quality Stones and Laporte possess, relatively Dias lacks some passing ability and as a right footer, plays with angles that may be slightly reduced or closed off for the left centre-back but it’s sufficient enough to play in a Pep side and that’s better than most can claim.
Laporte contrarily is a unicorn as far as possession side centre-backs come. A left footed LCB? A wonderful tool that unlocks additional angles and allow City to play at a smoother, uninterrupted tempo. Another 99th percentile CB for pass completion %, Laporte leads every CB on the planet for progressive passes per 90 and progressive distanced carried per 90 too.
For a possession based, attacking side, Laporte’s profile is one that should be cherished. The only glaring con to the Frenchman’s game is his increased tendency to make a defensive error relative to Dias or Stones. It’s not something that is wildly common but it has happened just enough for it to be seen as a pattern. In games of the finest margins, this is not a desirable trait by any means but it’s certainly not enough to banish a player of Laporte’s quality from starter discussions. City have 3 truly elite centre-backs.
The fullbacks:
In terms of the full-back pairings, Zinchenko and Cancelo are the duo I opt for. Going back to City’s formidable run of 20/21, Zinchenko and Cancelo were integral to a side that broke the English top-flight win streak and it worked for numerous reasons.
In terms of on-field relationships, both Zinchenko and Cancelo have the ability to invert into midfield and support Rodri both in the build-up and in transition defence. Their undeniable technical quality as bonafide midfielders mean they can play at 360° angles and under pressure. They lack the freakish, unparalleled athleticism and recovery pace a Kyle Walker brings, but they possess on-ball qualities particularly in the first and second phases at a level greater than Walker may offer.
Zinchenko:
I’ve described Zinchenko as a metronome player. Zinchenko perceives the game knowing what his next pass will be and plays a one-touch pass more than most in the City squad — the perfect link player from defence to attack and especially under an opposition’s press and City always seem to win when Zinchenko plays. In 20/21, only John Stones (the non-negotiable CB) had a better points per game record than Oleks, by March. The Ukrainian was also an assured starter during City’s win streak of 18/19 that resulted in a Premier League title one point ahead of contender’s Liverpool.
Zinchenko plays the left back position differently to Cancelo in that although he can hit the touchline, he often plays deeper, almost as a player who controls and facilities the tempo through a midfield game. He’s not a player who incessantly tries to play the final pass or directly contribute to output in the final third.
He plays his part in a wonderful harmony and on-field relationship through the triangle that consists of himself, Gundogan and Sterling.
By sitting deeper, Zinchenko protects the transition — Cancelo’s position high and wide vs Spurs left this area exposed on the counter. Zinchenko’s position deeper also give Sterling (or Foden, or Jesus) the space out wide to isolate the fullback and dribble at them, without that side becoming congested.
Zinchenko’s ability to play in midfield also provides additional liberty for Gundogan to attack the box as the Ukrainian occupies that zone when City are particularly dominant in possession in the opposition’s third.
When relationships on the field develop and players have a telepathic chemistry, it is valuable for those duos and trios to repeatedly play together.
Zinchenko’s left foot, the angles it opens up and his passing ability too, provides City with a reliable cross-field switch. Mahrez is particularly apt at receiving these but given the pin-point accuracy Zinchenko plays the pass, the far-side winger is unlocked as an option, regardless of personnel.
Cancelo:
Cancelo’s quality is magnificent on either side of the defence. His dribbling, the ability to pick and play a pass and his hunger for goal are all areas of his game that make him a unique profile.
Although Cancelo can play as a wide left player, his best contributions often come in central areas. Cancelo possesses the eye to thread a through-ball against packed defences. He unlocks another method to goal with his edge of the box strikes when he drifts in-field. Given his two footedness, he’s an enormous threat in-field, at 360° angles and is able to play passes and take shots at goal on either side. He has the patience in and around the box too, like a traditional 10.
The relationships of the right-sided personnel may suit Cancelo more than on the left though and can inform our decision of where we can use such a valuable, versatile player. As we saw last season, a traditional wide right winger (Sterling) with Cancelo and Bernardo formed an ultra-complimentary and rotating triangle.
I don’t have the adequate superlatives to describe Bernardo’s quality but arguably his finest trait is the ability to know exactly where he should be to the team’s advantage. Bernardo moves into the positions that maintain the team’s balance automatically as if he were an AI.
As Cancelo drifts inwards, to play the creative #8 role, Bernardo would often seamlessly drop a little deeper to maintain the team’s shape minimising the likelihood of a devastating counter-attack. And even if Bernardo didn’t, Zinchenko would often be a little deeper by Rodri ensuring the Spanish midfielder would be able to shuffle across without leaving too big a gap in midfield.
I am a fan of technical security in attack and structural security in defence. This pair facilitate that. I like it.
The midfield:
Rodri. Gundogan. Bernardo Silva. A perfect trio all things considered, for a possession based side that demands control in all parts of the pitch, from the first minute to minute 90. It has a bit of everything and enough of it for there to be no evident flaws. I love it more than anything.
Farrell (MEN) summarised some of the numbers for this formidable trio in October of 2021 and it is pretty impossible to draw conclusions from both the performances and data that suggests anything but that trio.
Bernardo, Gundogan and Rodri started 24 matches in all competition in 20/21 before they lost. They won 22, drew one and eventually lost to Brighton but the context of that game puts an asterisk on that first loss too.
In that 3-2 loss to Brighton, Cancelo had gotten sent off very early into the game and City were winning 2-1 until Gundogan was substituted early in the second half.
City only conceded two to eventually lose the game without the Bernardo and Gundogan as the team’s 8s (anchored by Rodri). Isn’t that utterly ridiculous? It’s undeniable.
Bernardo and Gundogan as the side’s interiors just don’t lose. In terms of this trio, the alarming thing is that Rodri seems to have stepped up his game, hitting another level this season. The ceiling for a team with that midfield doesn’t exist, it’s merely capped by team selection that omits one of them.
They don’t lose.
Bernardo and Gundogan play with the synchronicity of Newton’s cradle; when one of them attack the box, the other one drops in to maintain the side’s balance to prevent a counter and vice versa.
Bernardo is at his best in that right zone, utilising his quality as the best dribbler in the league. Gundogan’s afforded additional freedom to contribute to goals as a late midfield runner, with sensational timing, knowing Bernardo (Cancelo and Zinchenko) are protecting his side.
We saw Gundogan contribute in attack, scoring against Spurs recently but with Cancelo high and wide and De Bruyne in at right 8 as a more attack minded, less dynamic midfielder, City were more susceptible to counters. City had overcommitted. They lost balance. They lacked central compactness to stop the counter-attacks of Spurs.
![Seb Wassell 🏳️🌈🌱 on Twitter: "Is Bernardo Silva doing an Ilkay Gundogan? 🇵🇹 v 🇩🇪 (+ Foden 🏴) #FPL https://t.co/es8N65PbKS" / Twitter](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7e34134e-bfc4-4cce-8b7c-b028660f10d5_800x555.png "Seb Wassell 🏳️🌈🌱 on Twitter: "Is Bernardo Silva doing an Ilkay Gundogan? 🇵🇹 v 🇩🇪 (+ Foden 🏴) #FPL https://t.co/es8N65PbKS" / Twitter")
Concluding the justification of the midfield selection, I want to once again highlight the on-field relationships that work best at City.
Of all the players Gundogan has played 20+ games with, only alongside Vincent Kompany (2.68 points per game, 38 shared matches) has Gundogan won more points per game than with Oleks Zinchenko (2.52 points per game, 95 shared matches). Chemistry.
And the player Gundogan has combined most with for goals in his career? Raheem Sterling with 13 joint goal contributions. Chemistry.
That triangle works.
Gundogan, Bernardo and Rodri work.
Bernardo, Cancelo and a wide-right winger in Jesus or Sterling should work.
The attack:
Following the De Bruyne exclusion, it might seem impossible to somehow be more contentious but a City front three that doesn’t include a Grealish might teeter on the edge of that.
A front line of Sterling, Foden and Jesus however is one that can be justified and should probably be encouraged. Jesus’ position is interchangeable with this current version of Mahrez though (who is performing to an excellent standard), and this is elaborated upon further.
Sterling, Foden and Jesus combine to form the three best front-line pressers at the club. As City make a higher % of final third pressures than any other Premier League side this season, it is integral the players enacting this instruction are optimised for it.
One of the few occasions this front three combined was in the 4-1 victory against Liverpool at Anfield last season. Gabriel Jesus was substituted on in the second half after which the game shifted evidently in City’s favour.
Alisson, who has the sporadic mistake in him, surprisingly made multiple errors in the first phase of build-up that resulted in Manchester City goals. These errors and subsequent goals were born from the hyper-aggressive, well-timed press. The selected front 3 press individually with a body shape that ushers the opposition defenders into unfavourable positions and with an intensity that lasts for most of the game.
The press seems like a defensive action but a strong counter-press is one of the most valuable chance creation tools.
The goals against Liverpool at Anfield came from a Foden, Sterling, Jesus press, as did the goals against Real Madrid in the Champions League — the very same front three. They force turnovers, which force goals. We have examples and on the biggest of stages.
In terms of individuals, all three are capable of playing across each position of the front line which offers Guardiola the freedom to rotate them as he pleases.
For opposition defenders, it creates a disrupting uncertainty and there is always the insurance that if one of the various orders of the front three aren’t working or if one of the attackers are losing their duel against their defender, a rotation is always a viable option.
My first choice arrangement plays Jesus wide-right primarily for his work-rate, his dribbling ability, the traditional width he’d provide with Bernardo and Cancelo playing inside and the final ball (as expressed by his assist numbers this season).
Foden through the middle is City’s best option at F9 as has been the case all season. Sure the best player at City in that F9 position is debatable between Bernardo and Phil Foden for their unrivalled ability in the smallest of spaces but it is Bernardo’s quality in midfield, particularly in protecting City from losing control or conceding chances, that ensures he is too valuable in midfield to be moved into the forward line.
Lastly, Raheem as a left winger, supported by his on-field favourites Zinchenko and Gundogan, provides title-winning output, a sensational final pass and arguably some of the best off-the-ball movement in world football.
For traditional width, Sterling (or Jesus) RW, Foden LW with Jesus (or Sterling) down the middle is an option. Sterling can move to the right-wing (creating the triangle of 20/21 with Bernardo and Cancelo) in phases, with Jesus on the left. It’s all fluid and all iterations could work in some capacity.
That isn’t City’s best XI!
Football is a sport of opinions. It’s subjective and without much question there will be debate and disagreements. I don’t expect everyone to agree with my proposed XI here, although I hope my justifications at least explain the logic behind them.
There are a few exceptions and tweaks I’ll mention here.
Kyle Walker’s inclusion at RB makes perfect sense against certain opponents particularly those with a remarkable transitional, last-line, threat in the likes of Heung Min Son and Kylian Mbappe. Kyle Walker’s profile is tailor made to duel with the frightening left wingers of the planet and so the right back position is one with some flexibility.
Mahrez (and Palmer) could have a say in the front line of this system too. Foden and Sterling’s places here would be nailed down but with the form that Mahrez is in and with the glimpses of what we hope will be a wonderful career from Cole Palmer, both players have the quality to play in this system and well.
Mahrez has developed a quality over this season which is something that explains his goal output explosion. Mahrez has begun to reliably and sharply make repeated runs in behind opposition defence, a trait you’d associated with players like Raheem and Foden. Mahrez is arriving in the box more often than we’re used to seeing, and with a really nice sense of time. His inclusion in this side would not be unwelcomed. He is however a player who is weaker with his press than any of the three aforementioned forwards.
Bernardo’s ability to drift wide allows those scoring, inverted RWs to play in the dangerous central areas they like to move into. Zinchenko’s position on the opposite flank would ensure they receive adequate service and isolations off of the cross-field switches too, and Mahrez’s first touch is second to none so bringing these switches down is not a problem for the Algerian. The right-wing position, like the right-back position is slightly flexible.
For the goalkeeper, the centre-backs (mandatory John Stones inclusion), Rodri, Bernardo, Gundogan, Sterling and Foden, they are the mainstays. Zinchenko probably is too. The RB and RW you can experiment with.
Kevin De Bruyne:
Yes the side doesn’t include De Bruyne, which isn’t to say De Bruyne is bad. That would be a horrid take. In fact, there’s not been many better midfielders to grace the league or the sport, ever.
This XI enacts a particular system though and De Bruyne’s game is less conducive to the style of this system. De Bruyne’s game is one of higher risk, which leads to increased turnovers and less sustained pressure for City allowing the opponents to get out. His dynamism post-injury and as he ages results in a transitional defence that suffers in comparison to the high-level competition of Bernardo and Gundogan, although on numerous occasions De Bruyne has displayed his quality in making a recovery run and tackle late in the game or displaying a willingness to press intensely as part of the attacking unit.
De Bruyne’s game is one that hangs on one of the finest final balls in football history. Without a box 9 to aim at though, the potency of these passes suffer. They could be perfect but without someone to aim at, it’s not the optimal mechanism for City to adopt. Following a summer acquisition of a box 9, De Bruyne might become ‘undroppable’ again.
Like the piece from December in which I outlined my ideal Arsenal XI, this piece too is not to suggest I hold a view superior to anybody within the game or otherwise. It is simply an expression of what I see as the best potential solution given the players City currently have and the style they may seek to implement.
I present my ideas and defend them in the same way any football-centric mind would. That is not to pose unwarranted scrutiny towards people within the game. Rather this is a potentially great (or not so great) solution that remains, for now, untested.
City have the quality to win playing an entirely different system and personnel though but in theory, I think this would be a viable and formidable side.