This past summer of Man City marked a farewell to the past. Pep Guardiola not only said goodbye to his close colleague Txiki Begiristain, he also said goodbye to most of the ministries that have helped the team dominate Europe. The six 2022-2023 Champions League champions, Ederson, Kyle Walker, Manuel Akanji, Ilkay Gundogan, Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish, have left the Etihad one after another.
When Man City beat Liverpool 3-0 last weekend, Pep Guardiola's starting lineup had only three names who had started in the 2023 Champions League final, including Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland.
The current squad can be considered a true version of Man City 3.0 with youthfulness, mobility and vitality. Except for captain Bernardo Silva, who has turned 30, the entire Man City squad is in his twenties. Among them, people like Josko Gvardiol, Matheus Nunes, Jeremy Doku, Rayan Cherki, Nico Gonzalez or goalkeeper Donnarumma are the foundation for the future.
In fact, after a tiring 2024 season and an injury crisis, Pep seems to have been reborn. The image of him nodding his head in the gloomy months of last fall has disappeared, replaced by excitement. It seems that it is the team's youth that has given the Spanish strategist the opposite vitality.
The average age of Man City players this season is only 24.9 years old, down significantly from 26.6 in the previous season. Pep Guardiola admitted that football today plays much more difficult. If a team has two players who cannot press or cannot run, the other nine players have to double it and it cannot last forever.
A typical example is Bernardo Silva, who was exhausted from having to work hard for 52 matches last season. Pep recalled: "Last season, Bernardo was too busy. After 50-60 minutes, he told me he was exhausted. However, he has been playing for the club since then. That's why I chose Bernardo as captain."
Last season was the time when Pep Guardiola considered one of the most valuable lessons in his career. Normally, if a Premier League team falls into such a situation, they will finish in 10th place, he said. Therefore, it is a big win for us to still qualify for the Champions League. It was a season that made me proud, a season full of challenges but helped us mature."
From that lesson, Pep Guardiola has changed. No longer requiring perfect control performances like before, he built a dynamic, fast and physically- oriented Man City. Look at how Doku and Marmoush accelerate on the two wings, how Nunes and Reijnders move tirelessly in midfield, or how the "giants" like O'Reilly and Gonzalez help Man City get stronger in the challenge.
They no longer have artists like Gundogan or De Bruyne in the middle of the pitch, but they have warriors ready to rush into any physical race. Doku with his ability to dribble and scary speed is a typical example of the philosophy of "transforming technique into energy" that Pep is aiming for.
This change is clearly reflected in statistics: Man City's average ball possession rate this season is only 56.8%, down sharply from 61.6% last season and 65.2% in the treble season. The Citizens no longer try to control the game by holding the ball, they control it by intensity, speed and pressure.
This is another Pep Guardiola, more practical, flexible and normal. He is willing to trade tactical perfection for competitive energy, accepting small mistakes in exchange for a spirit of constant attack readiness.
The only remaining question is whether this young generation can recreate the glory of the previous generation? 6 Premier League titles in 7 years and 1 Champions League are a huge legacy left by Gundogan, De Bruyne or Walker. However, for Pep, that does not make him afraid, on the contrary, it is also a source of inspiration for reinvention.
Now, we can play in many different ways. The team is more flexible and unpredictable. You don't know if Man City will play with two real wings or center, Bernardo will be on the right wing or in the center. That is what makes us dangerous - Pep shared.
If Man City 1.0 is the sophistication of tactics, Man City 2.0 is the pinnacle of control, Man City 3.0 is the youth and speed, the new weapon that helps Pep Guardiola continue to rewrite a new page with the glorious journey with the team to Manchester.
