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#3 Ferran Torres and Phil Foden to get into golden boy bout
A fan favorite taking on the hot-off-the-press Spanish sensation, Manchester City are gearing up to see two exceptional youngsters, Phil Foden and Ferran Torres, go head-to-head in search of coach Pep Guardiola’s backing.
Signed from Valencia in the summer of 2020, Torres has made 27 appearances in the Premier League so far, scoring seven goals and providing two assists. Primarily a right-winger, Torres can also play as an out-and-out forward or a dainty left-winger.
Foden, on the other hand, has been training with Manchester City since the very beginning. He has risen through the ranks to become a first-teamer, but is yet to cement his place as an outright starter. He scored 16 goals and provided 10 assists across all competitions last season and will hope to put on a stronger show in the upcoming campaign.
On paper, their preferred positions keep them on opposite sides of the pitch. But under Guardiola, a bit of tinkering is not out of the ordinary. And even if they don’t, both attackers would love to prove their mettle and emerge as Manchester City’s hottest young prospect.
#2 Manchester City could operate with a false nine again
Through match-winning, title-defining goals, Sergio Aguero helped put Manchester City on the footballing map. The City of 2021 is not a lightweight anymore, they are one of the most dominating forces in Europe.
At the end of last season, that illustrious chapter came to a close, as the Argentine decided to move back to Spain, signing for FC Barcelona. The move has left a gaping hole in the Manchester City attack, but thankfully, Pep Guardiola was already preparing for the worst.
Although Manchester City have a natural number 9 in Gabriel Jesus, they chose to keep faith in a false nine system last season. Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, Kevin De Bruyne and other non-strikers pitched in, bringing City close to a famous double.
This time, they were expected to get their mitts on Harry Kane. Unfortunately the move seems to have collapsed, prompting City to go for Jack Grealish from Aston Villa. With the midfielder in their ranks, City have more reasons to keep playing the false 9 rather than count on Jesus alone.
#1 Manchester City poised to repeat Premier League heroics
Pep Guardiola has always been a man with many demands. He has broken the bank with Manchester City a gazillion times over, but the Spaniard most definitely has a lot to show for it. Last season, Liverpool were plotting to defend their Premier League trophy. Unfortunately, things went sideways and the Reds found themselves out of the title race prematurely.
City started a little slowly, of course, but put the pedal to the metal when needed. Banking on their squad depth, a record-shattering coach and world class individuals, City finished the season 12 points ahead of second-place Manchester United.
More reinforcements are set to be brought in this season, which would improve City’s chances of retaining the Premier League crown. And while it is exceptionally early to make such assumptions, calling Manchester City an outright favorite would not be too far-fetched.
