Manchester City’s 4-1 win over Arsenal in their title showdown was about more than the brilliance of Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland. It was about Pep Guardiola’s curious choice of full-backs nullifying the threat of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli…
Thursday 27 April 2023 15:58, UK
The occasion would not have been complete without a Pep Guardiola tactical decision springing a surprise. "I love to overthink and create stupid tactics," he once said. Trademark sarcasm. More recently, he added: "I am a genius when I overthink and we win."
In Manchester City's 4-1 win over Arsenal that, by his own admission, put his side in control of the Premier League title race, the focus instead was on the magnificent Kevin De Bruyne - "unstoppable" according to Guardiola - and his partnership with Erling Haaland.
The coach was keen to point out he does not teach them that chemistry, it is natural between two great players. But the decision to deploy Manuel Akanji at left-back for the first time was not natural. Undoubtedly, it helped City to dominate the match.
The obvious solution to Nathan Ake's hamstring-induced absence was to deploy Aymeric Laporte in that left-back position. He had played there against Leicester. It would have allowed City to retain the shape that has brought them continuity of late.
Even Guardiola acknowledged that it was a difficult decision to omit Laporte, praising the player's passing ability. "I have a lot of doubts because the position is for Aymer," he said in the press conference afterwards. "Aymer is our best player in the build-up by far."
It is revealing that Guardiola believed the identity of the opposition called for a selection based on something more important than City's build-up play. He values that higher than most. But he was acutely aware of the threat posed by Arsenal's two wingers.
Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli play out wide but are central to Mikel Arteta's plans. Isolating the full-backs in one-on-one situations against his wide players is the primary purpose of their own build-up play. It has worked spectacularly for much of the season.
The statistics show Saka has found himself one-on-one against an opponent on 337 occasions in the Premier League this season. That is 75 more than the next man on the list - and that next man is Martinelli, his colleague on the opposite flank, with 262.
Against City, the pair were completely nullified.
Martinelli, incredibly, did not even attempt a dribble against Walker, let alone complete one. It is the first time this year that both Arsenal wingers have started a Premier League game but neither has been able to create a single open-play chance for their side.
"They won every single duel," bemoaned Arteta. He was lamenting Arsenal's inability to bring their best game to the Etihad Stadium but Guardiola probably had it right. "I prefer to think they did not have their best level because we were really, really good."
Akanji was superb up against Saka, his combative approach leaving Arsenal's 'star-boy' nowhere to go. It helped that when Saka tried to cut inside on his favoured foot, Akanji was also on his natural side. It is easy to imagine now that Laporte would not have fared so well.
Asked when the idea came to him, Guardiola revealed the role that City's Champions League win over Bayern Munich played in his thinking. "When I saw the game against Bayern Munich, I said Manu can do it because he is so intelligent," he explained.
Specifically, it was the way that he coped when one-against-one. "After seeing Akanji against Bayern and (Kingsley) Coman, Leroy (Sane), (Jamal) Musiala in duels, he was amazing," he added. "And he controlled really well the incredible threat that Saka is."
Of course, not every team has a player as adaptable to this specific task as Akanji, a bargain signing at £15m in the summer from Borussia Dortmund. "Normally he is a central defender, he played right-back and now left-back. He is so, so nice. When you are so nice here, you play good."
It was not just Akanji. It was the knock-on effect of shifting him to the left that was significant. On the right, Kyle Walker was equally impressive. He snuffed out the Martinelli threat so completely that Arsenal's top scorer was hooked by Arteta after an hour.
"Against Saka and Martinelli, it was important that Kyle and [Manu] win that connection against the runners and be aggressive against them." Both were so quick to close down when the ball came, so positive in their defending, the wingers looked rushed all night.
They attempted 15 dribbles between them at Liverpool recently. Only three here. The fewest when starting together since the surprise defeat to Everton. They last failed to create a chance from open play in October when drawing at Southampton.
There is now a template to stop Arsenal.
Trust Guardiola to find it. It was a night when the performance of De Bruyne, a player who predates him at City, stole the show alongside a force of nature in Haaland. But it was also a night when a curious call by this 'overthinking' coach gave them the platform to play.
April 30: Fulham (A) - Premier League, kick-off 2pm, live on Sky Sports
May 3: West Ham (H) - Premier League, kick-off 8pm, live on Sky Sports
May 6: Leeds United (H) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm, live on Sky Sports
May 9: Real Madrid (A) - Champions League
May 13: Everton (A) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
May 17: Real Madrid (H) - Champions League
May 21: Chelsea (H) - Premier League, kick-off 4pm
May 24: Brighton (A) - Premier League, kick-off 8pm, live on Sky Sports
May 28: Brentford (A) - Premier League, kick-off 4.30pm
June 3: Manchester United (N) - FA Cup final, kick-off 3pm
