Full-backs offer Pep variety of solutions
ANOTHER week, another different City full-back formation.
After playing both Kyle Walker and Joao Cancelo as regular fullbacks against Liverpool, the pair then inverted inside at West Ham to baffle David Moyes and help City to an impressive win in the capital.
Against Bournemouth, it was a return to just one inverted full-back, although it was Walker rather than Cancelo drifting into midfield in possession in the week where Pep Guardiola said Sergio Gomez will be their only left-back signing of the summer.
The initial plan was to send Anderlecht leftback Gomez on loan, but Guardiola looked at the market, analysed videos of Gomez, spoke to his former manager, Vincent Kompany, and decided the best bet would be to stick with the Spaniard as cover for Cancelo.
If Gomez was watching the Blues’ comfortable win over Bournemouth, he will have seen the levels required to displace Cancelo – but also some situations where he will be better suited than the rightfooted Portuguese.
Cancelo was predictably solid on the ball and was better than against Liverpool in his task of staying wide and combatting a Bournemouth side who naturally try and attack down the right. However, on a few occasions early on, City saw attacks break down as the ball came to Cancelo on the overlap but he lost possession trying to cut back onto his favoured right foot, or by failing to control the ball on his left.
As a result, those opportunities stopped midway through the second half, with Guardiola taking Cancelo to one side during a drinks break to give him some detailed and animated instructions.
The fourth goal, turned in by a Bournemouth defender, did come from Cancelo’s left foot, although he had initially cut back onto his right before checking back to create the space – and it came after 75 minutes against a tired defence, rather than with any jeopardy in the game.
Gomez scored seven goals and added 15 assists for Anderlecht last season, and has played as an attacker in his youth career. If he can offer the Blues a wide full-back option who can get to the byline and cross a ball, that will be a clear area where he is different to Cancelo.
When he arrives at City and looks to show Guardiola how he can improve the team, games like this could be his avenue into the starting XI, giving a genuinely new option on the left that currently doesn’t exist in the squad.