Man City won against Luton quite hard, but the main problem was not because they lacked Erling Haaland. The Citizens even played smoother than recent matches, at least in the first half. So, how did Pep Guardiola solve the Haaland-less problem?
Despite being ahead by rookie Luton, Man City still successfully came back to bring home a close 2-1 victory, ending The Citzens’ 4-match winless streak. Obviously, Man City encountered many difficulties in the first half, but then responded very well after the break with smooth, effective play with two quick, electric finishes from Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish.
Haaland’s absence due to injury means that no matter what happens, the match will be viewed through the prism of whether or not the Norwegian scoring machine is present. And because the Green Man won, the result is simple: no Haaland, no problem.
If Man City doesn’t win, things will be different. However, they also need to stop worrying when the Na Ut striker cannot play. In the past, Pep was no stranger to a false number 9, with Julian Alvarez, Foden or many other attacking stars able to take on this position.
After Haaland arrived in the summer of 2022, Pep spent a lot of time trying to ensure Man City could play with a balanced squad and control the match well with this tall striker. Previously, they played with a false number 9, who could connect with the midfield better and help The Citizens dominate their opponents in the final third.
At Kenilworth Road, Alvarez is the virtual number 9 in the squad without Haaland. And Man City had better connection around the penalty area in the first half but was perhaps less accurate inside the Luton penalty area. Specifically, in 46 minutes and 50 seconds, The Citizens maintained control of the ball and created some good opportunities but did not finish well.
After the first half, Man City’s small weaknesses were revealed: Josko Gvardiol gave up control of the ball easily, the midfield could not win the ball back and the defense found it difficult to deal with the opponent’s crosses. In the second half, they played directly, getting closer to Luton’s goal by running the ball straight into the middle, hitting the home team’s defense, even though they did not regain control of the ball.
Both of Silva and Grealish’s quick goals came when Man City changed their approach to the match. Of course, Pep wanted to “change the momentum” to improve results and they did so with an impressive overall performance.
However, Man City’s limited bench does not allow Pep to always do that. We are no strangers to the fact that the Spanish military manager only likes to own about 14 or 15 top players, and most of them can play in many different positions when everyone is fit. strong, he does not have to remove the stars.
This has been an important part of Man City’s success over the years and it seems Pep will never change it. In the match against Luton, Pep named two goalkeepers on the bench and had very few attack options. Normally this season, Man City has 8 reserve players instead of the maximum 9.
Haaland is in danger of retiring for the rest of 2023, but that’s okay, Pep always has a plan for the home team to operate effectively in the absence of his main striker.