Walker keeps City one step ahead of rivals

IF imitation is the best form of flattery then Pep Guardiola should hardly be able to contain his blushing.

- DANIEL MURPHY

The City manager has had a seismic impact on football since he came into management in 2008 and revolutionised the game, first at Barcelona, then Bayern Munich and now with the Blues.

From the biggest of stadiums to the most derelict of fields, teams all over the world now attempt and aspire to play a passing game.

Even 15 years in Guardiola is still making tactical innovations which leave rivals scrambling to keep up. The latest of which was deployed to great effect at the start of the year.

City were struggling to get a rhythm together and really click in the first half of last season.

The disruption of a World Cup didn't help but, though he was scoring goals, the team wasn't working in complete harmony with Erling Haaland.

The Blues had effectively been playing without a striker for the previous two years and instead had another midfielder in attack which meant there was an extra passing option to help build play, fluidity with the rest of the forward players and someone else to help press and defend.

With a dedicated striker looking for space and trying to stretch a defence, City lost that additional body and were missing all it provided, while Haaland was often finding himself with little support. A solution was needed and Guardiola found one.