CITY MIGHT HAVE A NEW CENTRAL MIDFIELD OPTION

ONE of the more curious features of a surprisingly strong City team sheet from Pep Guardiola was the decision to name Kyle Walker in central defence. Taylor Harwood-Bellis might have felt slightly aggrieved to be overlooked, but we learned more as City set up with Joao Cancelo a right-back in name only.

As the Blues attacked, Cancelo pushed forward into central midfield, allowing Walker to drift over to the right and Rodri to drop back into defence. Cancelo’s energy and eye for a pass was crucial in helping City break through Birmingham’s deep block, and the rotation of Kevin de Bruyne and

Riyad Mahrez swapping on the right made it even harder for the visitors to mark a rampant City side in the first half.

It’s not the first time Cancelo has played that role, but it is the first time Guardiola has given him so much freedom by protecting the defence with another right-back. If there is ever a future scenario when another central midfielder is needed, Cancelo has proved himself a more than capable option.

MAYBE Pep Guardiola has liked what he has seen from City’s recent experiments with a false nine. They have rediscovered their best form with De Bruyne and then Mahrez through the centre in the last two games while Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero were out. Now, with Jesus back, it was expected the

Brazilian would take his place back in the centreforward position.

But instead, he lined up wide left and it was Phil Foden - so impressive in that position in the last two games - doing the damage through the middle. Foden’s running was too much for Birmingham, and he was rewarded with a fine goal, while Jesus was a constant threat coming in from the touchline and a regular target for De Bruyne’s raking throughballs. After so long without a striker, Guardiola seems happy to continue to experiment with a false nine even when his forwards are returning.

CITY’S brilliant first half meant Guardiola could rest De Bruyne, Ruben Dias and Cancelo at the break after a busy week for the trio. On came Taylor HarwoodBellis and Felix Nmecha, who have had to wait patiently with the under-23s while some academy colleagues have been given more first-team opportunities.

The pair kept things simple, and were confident in their roles, albeit against a Birmingham side that were well beaten before their introduction. Harwood-Bellis in particular showed good tactical awareness to fill Kyle Walker’s first-half role covering the right-back area as the England star took Cancelo’s position as a makeshift central midfielder in possession.

Nmecha was guilty of a few misplaced passes but was full of energy and this was only his second senior appearance. He will learn plenty from a full half of competitive first-team action.