Man City Boss Guardiola Faces Key International Break as He Searches for Answers

Much has been made about Manchester City’s draw with Celtic and defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the space of four days last week. They had won all 10 of their matches going into those games, with some slightly hysterical observers discussing the possibility of them matching Arsenal’s Invincibles and marching to the Premier League title unbeaten.

Now, those same people feel City have been figured out, with Liverpool and Tottenham now at the heart of the conversation about who will win the title.

As is so often the case, the truth lies somewhere in between. City aren’t going to stroll to the title unchallenged just a few months after finishing their last campaign with 66 points, nor are they now an easy target for sides who think they have figured them out.

There’s work to do, and manager Pep Guardiola, so intense in his preparations, will be using this international break to prepare for the games against Everton and Barcelona, but the quality of City’s football in the opening 10 matches of this season was no flash in the pan.

Guardiola has drastically improved the team in a short period, and they will be in contention for the title come the end of the season.

The emerging blueprint of how to disrupt City’s play needs answering, though. There can be no doubt the performances of Celtic and Tottenham shared certain characteristics, and any opposing manager watching those games will feel they at least now have something to cling to tactically that may unsettle Guardiola’s team.

Both started quickly, flying into challenges and denying City time and space. When they won the ball, usually high up the pitch, they were direct and attacked at speed. Basically, they did to City what City had done to the opposition in their previous 10-game winning run.

Tottenham, led by the brilliant Mauricio Pochettino, took things a stage further and man-marked City at goal kicks, meaning the build-up play Guardiola strongly advocates was almost impossible to initiate. Claudio Bravo was out of options with the ball at his feet. City looked flummoxed, out of ideas, unable to establish any rhythm and take the game to Tottenham. By the time they did find a way into the game as Tottenham tired, they were 2-0 down and the points belonged to the home side.

It saw City play more long balls than they have …

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