Manchester City 6-0 Al-Ain FC Review

Club World Cup - Group Game 2

For some fans, this match was on at a great time, something they’ve not experienced a lot, and for others, it was an early/late one. In the end, worth watching with the improvements we’ve seen and the goals in the match. Rayan Cherki and Claudio Echeverri scored their first goals for the club. One of the best performances from Gundogan since he returned. Rayan Ait-Nouri showed what we’ve been missing at left-back. All with a look at a different setup from Guardiola.

In case you’re not already aware, I’ve started up a YouTube channel with the first video linked below. Going through the debut of Tijjani Reijnders in the first game of the Club World Cup. His strengths, how he was used, and his role in the future.

Plenty more videos to follow across this week, appreciate any feedback as I’ll continue to make improvements to it over time, and if you could subscribe to support the channel. 👇

MOTM: İlkay Gündoğan

This was one of the best performances we’ve seen from Gundogan since his return last summer. Intelligent movement and composed finishing inside the box. Linking up with Ait-Nouri and Echeverri on the left-hand side. Putting in his share of defensive work. For the sixth goal, after the team wins back the ball, he doesn’t rush and waits for the right decisive pass to open up for Haaland.

Other standout performances include: Rayan Ait-Nouri, Rayan Cherki & Manuel Akanji

Notable Stats:

• Erling Haaland accumulated 0.49 xA in the match against Al-Ain. More in a single match than he had across the nine Champions League games he played last season.

• Pep Guardiola's teams have won all 10 of their matches at the CWC (including previous formats), outscoring opponents 33-2 in the process.

• In the nine seasons that John Stones has played for Manchester City, only in four of those has he started 20+ PL games.

Game Stats:

Manchester City 6-0 Al-Ain

• xG: 3.86 - 0.39

• xThreat: 2.19 - 0.26

• Possession: 73.2% - 26.8%

• Field Tilt: 91.2% - 8.8%

• Penalty Box Shots: 17 - 4

• Deep Entries: 16 - 4

• PPDA: 5.7 - 18.8

• High Turnovers: 9 - 2

Updated the sheet with minutes below for the Club World Cup, adding in a separate one for underlying numbers. Rodri and Oscar Bobb are making their way back to match sharpness after long injuries. Both played 59 minutes across the two games and came off the bench at the same time. Erling Haaland (120) has played the most minutes of any City player so far in the tournament. No player has started two matches so far. The only players in the squad to have played zero minutes so far are John Stones and Marcus Bettinelli. From the midfielders and forwards, only Erling Haaland, Tijjani Reijnders, and Ilkay Gündoğan have completed a full ninety minutes.

If you want to stay up-to-date on individual player minutes, back four combinations, underlying numbers, and more, check out the live Google sheet below. 👇

Getting to see Ait-Nouri, Nico, and Echeverri all start was what grabbed my attention looking at the starting eleven when it came out. Below is how the team was set up once in possession, moving to the 3-1-6 that we’ve seen used at the beginning of last season. Bernardo, Gundogan, and Echeverri are all floating across the final third. Ait-Nouri and Nunes are providing the width for either side.

Guardiola did mention after the match that the team struggled in the buildup, in particular the back three and Nico Gonzalez, to progress the ball quickly. The opening fifteen minutes were slow and easy for Al-Ain to apply pressure to. Across the first half, they did improve significantly.

You didn’t see much of Manchester City needing to sit deep and defend in a block; most of the defensive work was through counterpressing after a turnover or making recovery challenges for an Al-Ain counterattack. When they did, Nunes tucked in as the RW in a 4-4-2.

Below is a brief example of the pressing we saw, Haaland jumping to the opposition central defender, winger on the far side (Nunes) covering the other split defender, aiming to force the goalkeeper to kick long, where Manchester City can trust their three defenders supported by Nico to win the ball.

İ. Gündoğan 8' 1-0 

Set-pieces were a talking point across all of last season, and now Manchester City has scored from a corner in both Club World Cup matches. Inswinger by Bernardo Silva is headed clear into the path of Gundogan.

He then beats an opposition player and chips the ball to the back-post, which ends up in the goal. No doubt expecting a teammate to get on the end of it, rather than scoring.

One of the most interesting takeaways has been the different setups we've seen for corner routines compared to last season. It's only two games, so very much in the stage of trying ideas out, rather than there being a huge sample size for us to assess in detail. Below is from Wolves (A) last season, you saw Manchester City use four players in the rest defense, four players at the top of the box ready to attack the ball. Bernardo inside the 6-yard box to disrupt the keeper.

Compare that to the setup we saw against Al-Ain FC. You've got three players in the rest defense and much better profiles for it. Khusanov in the 6-yard box to disrupt the keeper. Echeverri is starting further out and looking to attack the back-post. Three players at the top of the box in Akanji, Gvardiol, and Haaland are ready to attack the ball. Nico Gonzalez was making runs towards the near-post, along the top of the 6-yard box.

C. Echeverri 27' 2-0  

Nothing much to say other than a fantastic free-kick by Claudio Echeverri, not an easy one to save even if there was a better keeper in the net. The quote from Guardiola after the match tells you all you need to know about the player. That desire to improve and make it through at the club.

E. Haaland (Pen) 45’⁺⁵ 3-0

After a corner where Manuel Akanji was dragged down to the ground, the referee, eventually, through VAR, gave a penalty which Erling Haaland scored into the bottom right corner. Good to see him take it with some confidence after the misses last season.

Claudio Echeverri had a bright first half but got caught up in a poor challenge that seemed to twist his ankle. Played on until half-time and then came off for Phil Foden, who took on a very similar role. Important moment for him scoring the free-kick and putting in his audition to stick around the team this season. Foden is moving a lot better in the Club World Cup compared to last season. Whether it’s finding pockets of space to receive the ball or running into the box.

Shortly after (61’), you saw Rodri and Oscar Bobb come on for 30 minutes, which seemed pre-planned like the last match, as both are returning from long-term injuries. In the goals and chances, you see flashes of Rodri before his injury, still not as decisive in winning the ball like he used to, and not weighing every pass correctly. Oscar Bobb, as I’ll come onto with the goal later, had some brilliant flashes but hasn’t yet rediscovered his ability 1v1 out wide. That’ll take time.

İ. Gündoğan 73' 4-0 

Rodri's long driven pass out to Bernardo on the right side, who moves inside as Oscar Bobb continues his run to hold the width. You can see the ground Gundogan covers to reach the box, near enough alongside Rodri in the beginning. Bernardo plays Gundogan through into the box, taking a touch to go past the two defenders and then chipping it across to the left corner.

Finish from Gundogan as he chips the keeper. Encouraging to see the City players all attacking the box.

Josko Gvardiol appeared to feel some tightness in his hamstring, so he came off for Ruben Dias (74’). At the same time, Rayan Cherki came on for Bernardo Silva. Good linkup with Oscar Bobb and creating chances centrally like we saw for the big chance Foden missed after Cherki played the ball over the top to Haaland.

O. Bobb 84' 5-0 

Great to see Bobb score this goal, working his way back from injury, and boosting his confidence. Struggled in the match in 1v1s, but excellent movement off the ball for the goal. Cherki does well to win the ball from the corner, dribble back inside, and pull an opposition player with him. Oscar Bobb makes a run into that space. Rodri immediately plays the ball back into the box for him. Bobb cuts inside around the defender and gets a shot off with his left foot to the near-post. A finish we’ve seen him use in preseason last season.

R. Cherki 89' 6-0 

This was the bit of magic City fans wanted to see from Rayan Cherki, and it all starts with his pressing alongside Erling Haaland. Forcing them back to the goalkeeper, whose straight pass to his winger is intercepted by Gundogan. Foden makes a run into the box on the left side. Cherki, you can see, looking over his shoulders at where Haaland is. Dummy as the ball goes through him to Haaland, Cherki turns and gets it back on the edge of the box to score into the bottom left corner.

A lot of his goals for Lyon, you see, Cherki tries to place it, but here he laces it into the bottom left corner. Hopefully, we see him mix more of these shots into his game. He’s quite capable.

Haaland could have easily had a hat-trick in this match and picked up another assist. Great to see him so heavily involved in all those chances, whether it be the through ball from Bernardo to him, the big chance Foden missed, or the Cherki goal. But he’s got to take more of these chances in the games to come.

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Moving Forward

Good debut for Rayan Aït-Nouri at both ends of the pitch. Lots of promising moments that'll be goal involvements in future games. He dribbled his way into the box for a shot. Back post crosses for Haaland. Link up with Cherki towards the end of the second half. Close to being named man of the match himself, and impressed Guardiola with the performance. Allows the team to change the setup across and within games seamlessly.

Whether he's still here next season is another debate, but I thought Manuel Akanji had an excellent performance in this match. Made dealing with passes behind to Al-Ain forwards look very easy. Secure and progressive on the ball. Not the hesitant version of Akanji we saw during parts of last season.

That does bring me to the point around departures. Several need to go to trim the total squad number down, to open up pathways for the new signings to get minutes, and simply because they won’t be able to register them. Lots of work for Viana to do when he competition is over, despite what the players may say publicly.

Next up for Manchester City is Juventus in the final group game of the Club World Cup, which will take place on Thursday, 26th of June at 20:00 (UK). A draw will mean Juventus win the group and get a more favourable match-up in the knockout rounds. Plenty of pressure on the team to win, and I’d imagine this will be our first look at what Guardiola has in mind for his starting eleven.

As I mentioned at the start of the newsletter, the first video for the YouTube channel is live, and you can watch it here. Thank you, everyone who's already watched the video and subscribed!