There looks to be different gears available to this Manchester City side | OneFootball

Manchester City capped off a tremendous week for the club with a 3-nil win over Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday. Their win over the current Premier League champions followed their impressive victories over Borussia Dortmund and Bournemouth. All three victories have helped Pep Guardiola’s side build momentum for what lies ahead after the currnt international break. What has also stood out in all three wins for City was the fact that Pep Guardiola’s side can now play with different styles of play during a match. That makes them a more dangerous proposition as the season begins to take shape in the coming weeks.

Manchester City played in two distinct ways against Liverpool.

Pep Guardiola’s side dominated Liverpool during the first half of Sunday’s match at the Etihad. They pressed Arne Slot’s side at almost every available opportunity and City’s possession play resembled a typical Pep Guardiola side. The build-up for Erling Haaland’s opening goal came from a move that started deep in Manchester City’s own half and saw every City player touch the ball before Haaland’s header gave them the lead. If any goal personified Pep Guardiola’s style of play that was it. It should be a contender for goal of the season given how well constructed it was and where the move started from.

Manchester City’s play in the first half was superb. They dominated possession and didn’t let Liverpool into the game. But the second half was a different story. City sat deeper defensively and allowed Liverpool to have possession. Pep Guardiola’s side also looked to hit Liverpool on the break when the opportunity arose. Once Jeremy Doku scored City’s third goal in the 63rd minute, Sunday’s match was over. Manchester City sat deep defensively and dared Liverpool to break them down. It is a tactic we saw City utilise against Bournemouth and Dortmund last week. It is now apparent that this City side has multiple ways of playing during a match which will become a valuable weapon to have at their disposal.

Pep Guardiola has acknowledged that his team is now more difficult for their opponents to contain.

Speaking after Manchester City’s win over Liverpool, Pep Guardiola acknowledged that he wasn’t happy with his team’s second-half performances against Bournemouth, Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool. But he also highlighted that his team can play in a variety of ways now which makes an even more formidable proposition. He explained after his team’s win at the Etihad: “In October and November, you don’t win the Premier League. The team that wins is the one that grows. You can be top but you have to be better and better, we talk about that a lot.”

“We have the feeling we are in that way. We are back in many things. I didn’t like the second half against Bournemouth or Liverpool or 20 minutes against BVB but this is a point we have to grow. It was important wins against Bournemouth, BVB and Liverpool. A fantastic week for us.”

“I have the feeling it’s back and we can play in different ways now. That’s good for us but not for the opponents. They don’t know what we’re going to do.”

Summary.

It has stood out over Manchester City’s past three matches that Pep Guardiola’s side can now play in a variety of ways to hurt their opponents. Possession football remains City’s one wood, but they can now sit back defensively and soak up pressure and quickly hit their opponents on the counter. This Manchester City team is beginning to look ominous. If they can continue to hurt their opponents in a variety of ways it could be the catalyst for City to have a successful 25/26 season.