There are few head coaches with a stylistic fit that is more closely analogous to that of City's current manager

Pep Guardiola has implemented a 4-2-2-2 system recently, so would Real Madrid winger Rodrygo fit into it? Across Manchester City’s recent nine-game unbeaten run, Pep Guardiola has implemented a 4-2-2-2 system of sorts. That system has given his team control of games and restored stability to their play.

MANCHESTER CITY got the better of old rivals Liverpool with a dominant 3-0 win at the Etihad on Sunday to put them firmly back in the title race. Erling Haaland broke the deadlock in the 29th

Maresca’s prominence on City’s shortlist feels logical rather than romantic. He is known at the Etihad, having worked at youth and senior levels, including as first team assistant during the 2021-22 season. Ornstein notes that Maresca “retains admirers in the hierarchy”, a line that hints at continuity of ideas rather than blind loyalty.

The signature traits the Madrid crowd had come to expect, and fear, from Guardiola’s teams had vanished. The hypnotising passing sequences, the suffocating press, the idea of total dominance. Perfume? Something staler was in the air.