ETIHAD STADIUM — Mozart isn’t the only fluid thing of beauty to come out of Austria. Back in the 1930s the Austrian national football team, or “wunderteam” as they became known, were the first side to rip up the rule book and start a game without a recognised striker – deploying a “false 9” long before Pep Guardiola made it famous in Barcelona’s 6-2 Clasico demolition of Real Madrid.
The system has become more common since that masterclass at the Bernabeu – Spain even became champions of Europe with David Silva as their most advanced forward in 2012 – but it remains a reasonably rare spectacle nonetheless.
Pep Guardiola bemoaned the fact City only have “13” fit players this week, highlighting how he has little option when it comes to team selection, and with Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero both out injured, Guardiola elected for an old, romantic favourite on Sunday against Leicester.
But, having seen his side picked apart by a wily striker who thrives on sticking it to Guardiola, we may have seen one of the most innovative Guardiolaisms confined to the history books, in simply remarkable fashion.
Only three three players have scored hat-tricks against Pep Guardiola's Manchester City…One of them is Leo Messi, the other two are Jamie Vardy
Posted by The i Paper Sport on Sunday, 27 September 2020
On paper, the final number in the City formation read zero, where the striker would be, but in reality City’s forwardline at the Etihad consisted of four players, constantly moving positions, and causing Leicester all kinds of problems early on.
Riyad Mahrez’s thunderous strike in the fourth minute seemed like it was going to set City, who had won their previous seven Premier League home games by an aggregate score of 26-1, en route to another comprehensive victory, all brought about but this sultry system – as aesthetically pleasing as it gets.
How things quickly unravelled. Leicester settled, got bodies behind the ball, and started to hit City on the break, and it soon became apparent just how easy they could launch raids into the City half, with Fernandinho and Rodri too lead-footed and easily bypassed by faster, vibrant Foxes.
Eric Garcia was standing firm, making some timely interventions. Leicester needed some cunning, and even when turning to a man who thinks about getting under Guardiola’s skin first thing in the morning, and last thing at night, they could never have dreamed just how successful utilising their talisman’s craftiness would be.
Firstly, Vardy won a penalty from a dozy Kyle Walker, before dispatching emphatically, taking him clear as the player to have scored the most Premier League goals against a Guardiola side.
That was just a pre-requisite, with the piece de resistance saved for the second half, as he guided a sumptuous flick over Ederson to give Leicester the lead.
Guardiola, in fact, had already snapped. Just five minutes into the second half, after seeing another poor City corner easily dealt with, the City boss turned to his bench, and brought on a striker.
Not just any striker, but Liam Delap, one born in 2003, such was his desperation for change. Guardiola is famed for sticking with Plan A, and only making minor tweaks. In one change, unseasonably early in the second half, the fact Guardiola had had enough of a system that has served him so well in the past, signifies perhaps it had met its death knell.
Vardy the tormentor was not done there, as his final act of cunning won another penalty out of nothing, which he, of course, converted to complete a hat-trick.
Only three players have scored a hat-trick against a side managed by Pep Guardiola. One is Lionel Messi. The other two are Jamie Vardy.
James Maddison got in on the act, while Vardy made way, with that wry smile, and no doubt a glance at the man who, for all his worldly knowledge, cannot work out a way to stop the 33-year-old.
This time, the ramifications may run a little deeper. Vardy has had his wicked way with Guardiola on plenty of occasions in the past. Now, he may well have changed one of the greatest coaches in history’s thinking, for good.
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/2GkkguU
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