Pep Guardiola has used Joao Cancelo exit to transform Man City tactics

Seven games after Joao Cancelo left Manchester City, and Pep Guardiola appears to have settled on a solution for getting through the season without him.

Nathan Ake was the chosen left-back after the World Cup and played so well that Cancelo felt his first-team chances were so limited that he had to leave. Since then, Ake has only started as the designated left-back three times, with Rico Lewis and Bernardo Silva operating on the left to give City a completely new look from the back.

Once upon a tie, a back three would strike fear into City fans. Now, it appears it is the way City intend to progress this season - not once since Cancelo departed has Guardiola played two 'traditional' full backs.

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Going game-by-game, and it's clear to see how Guardiola's intended use of a back three has developed. He had previously used Rico Lewis in Cancelo's 'inverted right-back' role, and in the first game following Cancelo's departure, it was Lewis replacing him on the left.

At Tottenham, Lewis operated from the left but tucked inside where possible, with the rest of the formation fairly similar as Julian Alvarez joined the midfield behind Erling Haaland and with two regular wingers who would more likely cut inside than go to to the byline. A back three reduces the chances for an overlap, but the approach at Spurs seemed to be to attack through the middle.

For the visit of Aston Villa, Guardiola again wanted a full-back cutting inside, but for more control he opted for Bernardo as the 'left-back' as the midfielder looked to relish his increased tactical brief. Again, Riyad Mahrez and Jack Grealish were on the wing, but Bernardo's energy and positional awareness