Pep’s City: From Clockwork Precision To Rusty Gears
For years, Manchester City under Pep Guardiola have been football’s equivalent of a Swiss watch—precise, relentless, and always ticking on time. But now? One win in 13 games. One. City fans are watching their invincible machine sputter like an old generator, and Pep, the eternal chess grandmaster, is suddenly losing to managers who still think 4-4-2 is cutting-edge.
Then came Boxing Day, a perfect chance to reset. Everton, a team that’s spent most of the season playing football like it’s a hostage negotiation, were the gift-wrapped opportunity for City to prove they weren’t broken. But what did Pep and Co. do? They unwrapped the gift, looked at it for a bit, and then promptly set it on fire with a 1-1 draw.
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It’s unheard of, unbelievable, un-Guardiola. A run so rotten even Sam Allardyce would have questions. For the first time in his career, Pep’s City look mortal—and the rest of the league? They’re loving every minute of it.
Everton: The Defenders of the Broken Seal
Everton’s 4-3-3 formation wasn’t exactly a tactical masterpiece, but it was like a well-timed sneeze—simple, yet effective when it mattered. Jordan Pickford manned the goal, Vitaliy Mykolenko and Seamus Coleman were the trusty full-backs, while Jarrad Branthwaite and James Tarkowski stood as sentinels in central defense.
Idrissa Gana Gueye anchored the midfield, with Abdoulaye Doucouré and Orel Mangala providing support further up. Out wide, Iliman Ndiaye and Jack Harrison stretched their legs, and up top, Dominic Calvert-Lewin had the unenviable job of playing lone wolf.
On paper, it looked like Everton might be there for the taking. But they didn’t just sit deep and invite pressure; they were proactive in disrupting City’s rhythm, operating as a 4-5-1 when defending and transitioning quickly into counterattacks when they won the ball. It wasn’t pretty, but it was effective, like using a sledgehammer to drive in a thumbtack—sure, it’s overkill, but it gets the job done.
City’s Shape: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
City’s build-up had Mateo Kovačić sitting deep and trying to create overloads to drag Everton’s press out of shape. In theory, it was supposed to be a masterclass in breaking down a defensive unit. In reality, it felt more like watching someone trying to do a jigsaw puzzle with pieces that don’t quite fit.
Kovačić, tasked with dropping between the center-backs, was supposed to be the calm amidst the chaos. Instead, he seemed like a square peg jammed into a round hole. It wasn’t just him, though—City’s midfield as a whole felt off. Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden, masters of finding space in tight spots, found themselves stifled by Everton’s tightly-knit midfield. Sávinho and Jérémy Doku were often on an island, unable to stretch the defense in the way City would’ve liked.
And then there’s Erling Haaland, the man who should’ve been the center of City’s offensive universe, but for long stretches of the game, he looked like a lonely figure stranded on an island. A solitary striker with no supply line—almost like having the world’s best striker and forgetting to pass him the ball.
Everton’s Press: Calvert-Lewin, the Phantom Menace
Where most strikers would charge headlong into the heart of the defense, Calvert-Lewin took a more… subtle approach. Rather than directly pressing the ball carrier, he positioned himself strategically between the center-back and Kovačić, effectively blocking the space City wanted to exploit. This intelligent, almost stealthy movement allowed Everton to maintain a solid shape, while simultaneously giving City’s defenders extra time on the ball—time they didn’t exactly want.
Everton’s wingers, Harrison and Ndiaye, weren’t just waiting for the ball to come to them either. Instead of hugging the touchline like dutiful wingers, they tucked inside to form a tight defensive unit with Gueye and Mangala. This clever compactness ensured there was no gap between the lines for City to exploit, forcing the full-backs to tuck in closer to the center-backs. The flanks, once a place of joy for City’s wide players, were suddenly no-go zones.
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This press wasn’t just about running around in a panic; it was a strategic game of cat-and-mouse. Everton knew exactly when to squeeze and when to relax. Crucially, they denied City any easy outlets. Pep, the usually unflappable master of fluid passing, found himself trapped in a defensive vice.
And yet, for all the things the Toffees did right, there some that kept rearing its ugly head -the left hand side was of city was a soft under belly. Joško Gvardiol, Nathan Aké, and Doku combined in a diagonal that had Harrison going left, right, and completely missing the middle.
Every time he shifted to help Coleman, Doku darted in behind, making him look like a statue. Silva, as always, played the role of the sly fox, pulling Coleman out of position, which gave Doku free reign. This was textbook City: find the gap, exploit it, repeat. Nevertheless,Everton did just about enough to cover the spaces and prevent goals.
Conclusion: A Guardiola Crisis?
The draw against Everton wasn’t just another frustrating result for Manchester City—it was a symptom of a deeper malaise. For all their tactical sophistication, City have become predictable, unable to find solutions to bail them out of games where their system falters.
Guardiola, the perennial tinkerer, now faces a new challenge: how to reignite a team that looks increasingly unsure of itself. For Everton, it was a point well-earned, and perhaps a blueprint for other teams looking to frustrate the once-unstoppable champions. For now, though, one thing is clear: the Swiss watch is still ticking—but it’s losing time.
By Tobi Peter / @keepIT_tactical
Featured Image: @GabFoligno / Martin Rickett – PA Images