Pep Guardiola's Manchester City have moved with times but in their own way | Jonathan Wilson

"As the new world dawns and revolution rumbles across the horizon, there will always be those who remain resistant, who cling defiantly to the old ways. For years Pep Guardiola was a revolutionary. Very few people in history have had such an influence on how football is played, but the passage of time is inevitable. Nobody can stand in the vanguard of development for ever: yesterday's rebel is today's reactionary."

"On the one hand, Guardiola has stayed admirably true to his principles. As others prioritise heft and physicality, he remains wedded to technical virtues. He doesn't mind picking a player who is under six feet tall and doesn't have the shoulders of an Olympic rower. Rampant Haaland takes Manchester City past Bournemouth into second His lineup felt almost like a throwback to nine years ago and the days of Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva playing as free 8s in a 4-3-3."

"Here it was Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden flanking the holder, Nico Gonzalez, with Jeremy Doku offering width and Rayan Cherki drifting in from the right. The two full-backs are both converted midfielders; Nico O'Reilly demonstrated the benefit of that by scoring the third with a well-placed finish. It may look like the old City, but they do not score goals in the old way."

Pep Guardiola's tactical blueprint is losing its dominance as the game shifts toward muscularity and set-piece emphasis. Guardiola remains committed to technical, possession-based principles and often selects smaller, skilful players rather than prioritising physicality. Recent lineups recalled City’s earlier 4-3-3 balance with Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden flanking a holder like Nico Gonzalez, Jeremy Doku providing width and Rayan Cherki drifting inward. Two full-backs converted from midfield contributed; Nico O'Reilly scored a well-placed third. City’s scoring pattern has evolved: the standard goal is increasingly the early through-ball to Erling Haaland rather than long multi-pass build-ups.

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