City star Can be best full-back in the world
UNLESS you’ve been living under a rock for the past three months you’ll know that Joao Cancelo has developed into one of City’s most important players.
The right-back by trade has been Pep Guardiola’s first-choice leftback so far this season and City have been reaping plenty of rewards from his positional switch.
On Wednesday evening Cancelo put in another excellent performance, marked by the three assists he provided in City’s 4-1 defeat of Club Brugge in the Champions League.
The Portuguese international’s first two assists were in keeping with classic City style – perfectly timed crosses that made it harder for the recipients to miss than score.
The second in particular, a cross from the left-hand side onto the head of Riyad Mahrez, was sublime.
The third came once Cancelo had switched to right-back, a surging run forward teeing up Gabriel Jesus to wrap up the win.
After the game, Phil Foden, who grabbed City’s first goal thanks to a pinpoint Cancelo cross, did not hold back in his praise for the 27-yearold.
“Joao [Cancelo] is one of the best, if not the best, attacking full-backs in the world right now,” Foden said after a win that put City top of Group A with two games remaining.
“He’s always adding goals and assists from full-back – he’s always there in big moments in big games. We know he’s got quality in front of goal and his delivery is sensational.”
Foden may still be a rookie in relative footballing terms but he certainly knows a quality player when he sees one.
Few full-backs in world football are capable of producing three assists and creating seven chances in one game, especially when they are playing on the ‘wrong’ side of the pitch and asked to switch position part way through proceedings. However, what adds even more weight to Foden’s comments is that 30-odd miles down the M62, another of world football’s best full-backs was putting on a stellar show.
Trent Alexander-Arnold provided two assists in Liverpool’s 2-0 win against Atletico Madrid at Anfield, a result that guaranteed their progression to the last 16 as group winners.
Like Cancelo, the 23-year-old England international produced two excellent crosses that were converted by Diogo Jota and Sadio Mane respectively. He is widely regarded as the best attacking and creative full-back in the Premier League, if not the world, but Foden has a point; perhaps Cancelo deserves to have that title bestowed upon him.
Slight defensive question marks aside (Alexander-Arnold is no stranger to those either), if Cancelo wants to continue this momentum then he will have to overcome a new challenge when City face United at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Cancelo, if he starts, will be without the familiar presence of Aymeric Laporte alongside him. Laporte has been Guardiola’s first-choice leftsided centre-back this season, but the red card he received in last weekend’s defeat to Crystal Palace will rule him out of the crunch clash.
That means that John Stones will come into the side, with Ruben Dias shifting across to Laporte’s position.
Cancelo’s aforementioned defensive shortcomings and right-footedness are usually compensated by Laporte’s solidity and left foot, but of course, that won’t be the case on Saturday. Guardiola may opt to start Oleksandr Zinchenko at left-back instead, a naturally left-footed player who, while not as good in attack, is better than Cancelo defensively.
It’s worth remembering that when Stones and Dias were City’s starting centre-backs for much of last season, Zinchenko was usually the preferred left-back option.
If Cancelo does retain his place he will have to show he can perform his defensive duties without the help of a natural left-sided player.
If he does that, he could have a claim to not just being the best attacking full-back in the world, but the best full-back – full stop.
We know he’s got quality in front of goal and his delivery is sensational Foden on Cancelo