Gary Neville admission proves Pep Guardiola tactical change at Man City

Manchester City displayed the evolution of Pep Guardiola's tactical set-up last season as they romped to the treble.

Their impressive form following the turn of the year was largely underpinned by a shift to an all-centre-back defence which allowed John Stones to step out into midfield, culminating in the England international's impressive performance in the Champions League final. Now, it appears the Catalan tactician has taken another step towards changing how his team plays.

Guardiola made his name in management by first leading an incredible Barcelona side, spearheaded by Argentina legend Lionel Messi, which became synonymous with the tiki-taka brand of football they employed. It was defined by short passing and retaining the ball for long periods of the game and was subsequently also adopted by the Spain national side following Barcelona's incredible success.

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When Guardiola made the decision to leave Barca, tiki-taka was so revered that there was a clamour from European football's top clubs to bring him in and implement it for them. But his viewpoint has developed over the years and while the football City play is often very easy on the eye, there have been few who claim they play in a tiki-taka style.

In fact, former Manchester United defender and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville has now claimed City are one of the most physically imposing sides in the Premier League - a vast difference to the intricate football played by Messi and his former Barca teammates.

"City weren't at their best but they can now win games in all different ways," Neville said on The Gary Neville Podcast following the 3-0 Premier League win over Burnley. "We know