Sam Lee, The Athletic's City correspondent, discusses Manchester City's 3-1 win over Burnley. Topics include the shape of the side, control under pressure, looking for Haaland, and De Bruyne's injury. The hosts analyze Burnley's playing style, evaluate the performance of Lewis and Aké, and discuss center back performance. They also touch on fantasy football picks, the importance of position coverage, and the idea of watch-alongs for future podcasts.
Manchester City's tactical adjustments allowed them to control the game under pressure against Burnley.
The team is actively working on adapting and finding ways to utilize Harlan's skills on the pitch.
Deep dives
Manchester City overcame Burnley with strong spells to secure a win
Manchester City started their season with a victory, using strong spells of play to overcome Burnley. Harlan scored two goals in the first half, showcasing his finishing skills. Despite Burnley's pressure, City managed to control the game, with Guardiola making tactical adjustments to maintain dominance. While Burnley put up a strong fight, City's quality and ability to adapt proved crucial.
Lewis displayed mental resilience in challenging circumstances
Rico Lewis showed mental resilience throughout the game, always wanting the ball and working hard despite the pressure. Although not his best performance, Lewis demonstrated his commitment and technical ability, attributes that make Guardiola appreciate him as a player.
The midfield dynamics and the absence of Kevin De Bruyne
The absence of Kevin De Bruyne due to injury raised questions about how City would fill the void. Pep Guardiola chose to bring in Kovacic to add control in the midfield. Foden played a significant role, although his impact was not outstanding in the game against Burnley. The midfield dynamics will likely see a combination of Alvarez and Foden in the coming weeks.
Harlan's adaptability and the challenge of finding him
Throughout last season, City focused on adapting Harlan to their style of play, consistently looking for ways to find him on the pitch. Harlan's desire for more through balls from his teammates was evident, with Guardiola addressing this desire during halftime. In the second half, City started playing more long balls towards Harlan, showcasing their continuous adjustment and adaptation. As the team further fine-tunes their understanding, Harlan's impact is expected to increase.
Manchester City start the season with a 3-1 win over Burnley - and David Mooney is joined by The Athletic's City correspondent, Sam Lee, to discuss the talking points from the game... The shape of the side, control under pressure, looking for Haaland, and De Bruyne's injury.