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Successful Revenge: Manchester City Defeats Aston Villa

Successful Revenge: Manchester City Defeats Aston Villa

Perfection in Occupying the Half-Spaces

Fussball Coach
April 05, 2024

Hello and warm welcome to the latest edition of our newsletter! In this issue, the following topics take center stage:

⚽Manchester City Defeats Aston Villa
👉3 New Exercises for You!

⚽Manchester City Defeats Aston Villa

After drawing against Arsenal, it was crucial for Manchester City to secure the three points against Aston Villa to stay in the title race with Liverpool and Arsenal. Additionally, City had unfinished business with Aston Villa after losing the away game and delivering a poor performance at that time.

Guardiola rested some of his superstars and provided playing time to players like Doku, Alvarez, Grealish, and Rico Lewis. Lewis, starting as a full-back, moved into the center during possession, shaping the familiar 3-2-5 system. Akanji, Ruben Diaz, and Gvardiol formed the back three defense.

City 3-2-5 / Aston Villa 4-4-2

From the start, City was extremely dominant and dictated the flow of the game. Aston Villa defended in an agile 4-4-2 system that often transformed into a 5-3-2 shape. Early in the match, Aston Villa had 2-3 very good counterattacking moments where they posed a threat. However, City maneuvered very skillfully in tight spaces, and three players, in my opinion, made the difference that evening: Jeremy Doku, Rodri, and Phil Foden.

Jeremy Doku is known for his incredible acceleration and outstanding dribbling ability, making him extremely difficult to defend against. His capability to dribble both inside and along the sideline makes him unpredictable compared to players like Grealish. During the game, it was clear to see that Zaniolo had to help Digne double-team him, which in turn meant another player was left free or had more space. This provided Manchester City with more freedom in their buildup play, allowing them to combine relatively undisturbed.

Rodri is currently experiencing the best season of his career, having already scored 8 goals. He has seamlessly integrated into Guardiola's system and become an indispensable player. Despite the team's depth in midfield, Rodri's presence (or absence) on the field is keenly felt. He is a complete midfielder—able to dictate the tempo of the game, deliver precise final passes, exhibit physical strength (despite not being the fastest), and even venture into the box to score goals.

His assist for the the 3-1 goal was an outstanding example of his excellent form this season. As a defensive midfielder, he dribbled past one opponent, drew two more towards him, and then executed a brilliant trick pass to Foden, who scored directly. This type of play is executed by few players. Week after week, Rodri demonstrates his versatility and ability to shape the game and create crucial moments.

Phil Foden is also having an outstanding season. A few years ago, Guardiola described him as one of the most talented young players he has ever coached. Foden impresses with his exceptional technique and ability to maneuver cleverly in tight spaces while shaping the game. His hat-trick against Aston Villa undoubtedly made him the player of the match.

Let's take a closer look at how effectively Guardiola's team occupies the half-spaces. I'd like to illustrate this with examples from recent game situations. Moving within these tight areas is extremely challenging due to limited time and numerous opponents around. The players occupying these zones must meet high demands: they need to be agile, quick thinkers, have good awareness, and be technically proficient.

Occupying the half-spaces always presents difficult decisions for the defending team. For example, if the center-back steps out, space is created behind him that can be exploited. However, if he stays with his opponent, that player can turn and drive towards goal. The aim of occupying these half-spaces is precisely to constantly confront defenders with such dilemmas.