Man City star Julian Alvarez is forcing opposition teams to overthink

01.11.2023 - 14:29 manchestereveningnews.co.uk

Manchester City have a number of players in their team that cause problems for opposition coaches. Ederson was a game-changer in terms of how analysis teams tried to stop Pep Guardiola's side as they quickly realised that pressing the goalkeeper is a dangerous exercise but so is letting him have the ball to land it on any sixpence that he wants.

Rodri can often be man-marked in an attempt to stop the flow of City's game, while it is unusual for Erling Haaland to have multiple players watching for where he goes.

Added to that list can be Julian Alvarez as he grows into the City team. Alvarez has made the most of Kevin De Bruyne's long-term injury this season to make a spot in the starting XI behind Haaland his own, proving to be one of the most effective players in the league. ALSO READ: Man City academy head takes leading role with women's team ALSO READ: Pep Guardiola U-turn hints at Man City plan for immediate future The Argentine, who came in seventh place in the Ballon d'Or rankings announced on Monday in Paris, appeared to have one of his quieter games of the campaign in the derby as Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva marauded down the left flank at Old Trafford in the 3-0 romp.

However, United manager Erik ten Hag revealed after the game that Alvarez had been central to his peculiar decision to select Jonny Evans and Harry Maguire in the centre of his defence over World Cup winner Raphael Varane. "When you face City, they will go up to press and then to play with Rapha and Maguire over the left, that can give problems and then you end up only kicking long balls," he said. "He is, for me, better on the right, Harry, especially against teams pressing high and, second, is you have to step in over that side and that

STARS Kevin De-Bruyne Jack Grealish Harry Maguire Raphael Varane Bernardo Silva Jonny Evans Julian Alvarez Argentina

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