admin With 23 players used this season, no one in the league has used as many different players as Manchester City. There is a lot to learn from the way Man City arranged their squad in the first four matches of the Premier League season.
As well as no other team in the league using as many players as City, other patterns have emerged, such as a new team core and a reliance on youth.
A new core
Six players have featured in every single City game so far this season. They are Erling Haaland, Julian Alvarez, Kyle Walker, Rodri, Phil Foden and Ederson.
Only injury has kept Mateo Kovacic out of action and it is perhaps surprising that this summer signing has received such confidence from the start. Of course, the former Chelsea man has made many appearances in the Premier League and his presence in the team so far perhaps shows that the player who plays Gundogan, who was brought in as a replacement by Kovacic, is highly regarded. like in Man City.
Many will also be pleased to see Julian Alvarez of such importance to the team. The Argentine played a lesser role for Man City last season but has featured in all of City’s matches so far. The 23-year-old is said to be a target for Real Madrid in the summer transfer window, but City will not want to let such a talented young player leave and will perhaps show Alvarez that he has a future firmly at Man City.
The new blood
Kovacic’s impressive start to his City career coincided with the arrival of Matheus Nunes, who made his City debut as a substitute at West Ham. Jeremy Doku impressed in his first minutes of football in the Premier League.
Josko Gvardiol, signed for £77m, has made four appearances for the side this season since arriving from RB Leipzig. He came off the bench in City’s opening day win and has started three games since then.
Academy product Oscar Bobb also made his debut for City this season, as City beat Fulham before the international break.The winger has featured for the team four times this season, demonstrating the trust the City board have in him.
Rotation, rotation, rotation
No club in the Premier League have used as many players so far as Manchester City. Juanmo Lillo and Pep Guardiola have used 23 different players across just five games this season. It has been a long-standing issue at Manchester City that they have had to keep a team packed to the brim of superstars happy with their playing time, especially when these players know that they would be starting week in, week out for just about any other club in the league.
There is only a certain amount of time players are willing to wait. See Aymeric Laporte and Riyadh Mahrez who had previously reportedly been unhappy with their game time at the club who have since moved on, albeit to Saudi Arabia.
Ultimately, City having a squad stacked with talent in the way that they do is a double-edged sword. It can be a daunting thought for the opposition who are happy to see Phil Foden leave the field while defending a one-goal lead only to see a player like Jeremy Doku replace him.
However, it is a challenge in itself keeping such players happy. City will be competing in five different competitions this season and will need to use as many players as they can as they will be expecting to win every single one of these competitions and so perhaps, the rotation of the side should come as no surprise because of this.
