The Blues are unarguably the best club in the European First League this fall. Much of this success is due to the manager, Pep Guardiola, whose controversial at first management style, now is seen as the quintessence of football mastery. Only a year ago, the club marked its lowest point when losing at 4-0 from Everton and 4-2 from Leicester. This season, Guardiola has turned the tables, and the Blues are +31 points ahead of any other team in the Premier League. Sure, there was the need for adjustment to the new coach who moved from Bayern Munich in 2016. This incredible success rate is not just owing to Guardiola’s presence on the football scene, often being associated with the shadow over coaches like Conte and Mourinho, who have recently found themselves playing catch up with the Spaniard. The Blues would never be able to come that far, without several of the club’s legends and secret weapons on the field. Learning more about these football masterminds will help you keep your betting records straight for the matches to come. There is no doubt you need to understand how do betting odds work as playing at online sportsbooks depends on that information.
New & Old Stars on the Field
In an ideal world, Guardiola will rely on his whole arsenal for the next few games of this season. However, his best defenders, Vincent Kompany and Nicolas Otamendi, will not be playing until the end of the season due to an injury and for being banned from the field, respectively. For quite some time, Guardiola’s greatest weakness has been his defence strategy. So, who else could save the day for the coach? Certainly, the recent transfer of Ederson in the club boosts up the overall confidence of the team, but John Stones has to form a new partnership in the absence of Otamendi for the game with Leicester. The chemistry that the pair Otamendi – Stones has recently exhibited is what has brought the team back on its feet, so finding a new Otamendi won’t be easy.
On the right - Kyle Walker
In the absence of Otamendi, there are several other good choices ahead of Guardiola. The first that comes to mind is the newcomer, Kyle Walker. Walker’s transfer from Tottenham in June this year came as great news for the club, still in recovery from last season underway. Playing on the right flank, Walker is expected to balance off Stones, who is often in the centre or on the left.
On the left - Fabian Delph
A natural midfielder, Delph has struggled to win Guardiola’s trust until recently. However, with Benjamin Mendy being off the field due to injury earlier this year, the 27-year-old fullback marked his moment of glory when scoring the winning goal against Chelsea earlier this year. Spending a lot on boosting his fullbacks and midfielders, Guardiola now can rest confidently at the sight of Delph handling the ball on the left. Moreover, Delph’s previous midfield background is to his advantage when we see the player exhibiting incredible confidence in the middle, which is still uncommon with most fullbacks.
Kevin De Bruyne
De Bruyne is a shocking revelation for Guardiola this season, as he’s rightly voted the best Premier League player this season. The Belgium also stole the Belgium title of the best player in foreign football, despite the constant criticism from its national team last year. Coming from Chelsea, it was no wonder that he was central in the first 11 wins at the start of the season. Guardiola can only be proud of his choice in transferring De Bruyne, as he’s often seen as the most dedicated City player on the field.
Eliaquim Mangala
Speaking of dedication, we can’t omit Mangala from City’s secret weapons, as earlier this summer the defender preferred to remain with the Blues, refusing a transfer worth of £42m to Crystal Palace. Playing the important game against West Bron in the last season, the defender proved his allegiance to the Blues. Now, Guardiola has no better choice than use the strengths of the 26-year-old, in the absence of players like Kompany and Otamendi.
Sergio Aguero
Old school dogs like Zabaleta, Silva and Toure are the obvious choice for the coach, but you might be wondering where Sergio Aguero comes in this top list. Being with the team for over 6 years now, Aguero is indispensable, winning two Premier League titles and a League Cup to his name. Aguero is the synonym of a secret weapon when it comes to scoring, with his famous last-minute goals in the season of 2011-12 when the Blues stole the title from their Manchester opponents. This was also the first League title for City in the past 44 years. Being the club best goalscorer, Guardiola will definitely find it difficult to recuperate after Aguero’s recent brisk flight back home due to illness.
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