Manchester City’s Defensive Flaws Under Pep Guardiola’s Tactics – Tactical Analysis

Although Manchester City currently sit in second place in the Premier League with 23 points, just five points behind Liverpool, their season has gotten off to a rocky start.

For the first time in Pep Guardiola‘s managerial career, the English side is facing significant challenges.

Key injuries have plagued the squad, starting with

will rule him out for the rest of the season.

Kevin De Bruyne’s extended absence has left a creative void in midfield, while centre-backs John Stones and Nathan Aké have been in and out due to recurring injuries.

Phil Foden has struggled to recapture his best form since the Euros, and some attackers, like Jack Grealish, have also been dealing with fitness issues.

These setbacks have left the squad looking thinner than usual, forcing academy players to step up and fill gaps in the first team.

Despite their efforts, City has endured an uncharacteristic stretch of four consecutive losses—an unheard-of scenario in Guardiola’s tenure in the Premier League.

However, if there’s ever a time to endure such a difficult period, it’s right before the international break.

The pause provides an opportunity for the team to reset, recover, and return with a fresh perspective.

We’ve seen this before with Manchester City—think back to when Brentford defeated them 2-1 before the last international break, only for the team to return stronger and eventually go on to win the league.

In this tactical analysis, we will explore the key areas where Manchester City’s game has faltered, the tactical issues contributing to their losses, and what adjustments might be necessary to Pep Guardiola’s tactics for them to bounce back stronger for the remainder of the season.

Manchester City Vs Brighton & Hove Albion

The Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion match sent shockwaves through social media, officially marking Manchester City’s second consecutive Premier League loss and their fourth defeat in a row.

This game clearly represents the issues that have led to City’s poor form, specifically poor box defending and a lack of focus on backline coordination.

The first image above highlights poor backline coordination.

Three Manchester City players follow a Brighton attacker while Matt O’Riley makes a run into open space.

No player closes down the Brighton player delivering the final pass.

This lack of coordination in the backline allowed Brighton to score their second goal and ultimately secure the win.

In the second set of images, you can see how Brighton’s players exploit the space near and inside the penalty box.

Brighton attackers are consistently one pass or touch away from being in goal-scoring positions due to the available gaps.

Josko Gvardiol is positioned a few yards behind the other defenders, keeping all Brighton attackers onside.

This gap in the defensive line provides Brighton with a clear angle at goal.

Brighton players have a lot of space in the box, and there is a lack of physicality and aggression, which you can see in the header opportunity that Brighton had.

The final image illustrates a lack of coordination in Manchester City’s backline even before the ball reaches the penalty area.

During the midfield battle, where both teams aim to disrupt passing lanes and control the build-up, a single long ball over Kyle Walker allowed the Brighton winger a clear path to goal.

City has never been an intense man-marking team, but there have been many times when players easily run right by their defenders.

This breakdown stems from individual errors, such as failing to track runners or losing awareness of the defensive line’s positioning.

This match highlighted critical defensive issues for Manchester City, including individual errors in coordination with the defensive line and poor box defending, even in 1v1 situations.

Manchester City Vs AFC Bournemouth

The first two images from the match against Bournemouth, which feature the goals that sealed their victory against Manchester City, show clear examples of poor box defending.

In the first image, despite the City defender closing down the attacker, there is a noticeable lack of urgency to clear the ball.

The attacker is allowed enough time and space to turn and take a shot at goal, ultimately converting the opportunity.

This reflects a failure to defend in critical areas of the box assertively.

The second image further highlights the issue, showcasing the attacker with significant room inside the penalty area.

The City defenders are poorly positioned, leaving the attacker unmarked and with ample space to place the ball into the back of the net calmly.

The lack of tight marking and spatial awareness in such a dangerous area makes it far too easy for opponents to capitalize on their chances.

These examples underline Manchester City’s recurring defensive issues: an inability to clear danger decisively, poor marking, and insufficient pressure on attackers within the penalty area.

These lapses in defensive organization have proven costly, allowing opponents to score decisive goals.

Now that we’ve examined Manchester City’s poor box defending and backline coordination, some of these issues can be tied back to the absence of a defensively strong player in the 6 role.

While Rodri is an excellent player, he’s not the most defensively-minded No. 6, as we’ve discussed previously at TFA.

Ilkay Gündogan and Mateo Kovačić provide some balance in the 6-8 roles, but they are not the most defensive-minded duo.

With John Stones and Rodri unavailable, City lacks players who can effectively close gaps in midfield and support the centre-backs.

The first image shows a large amount of space in front of the two centre-backs.

A Rodri-Stones partnership would typically cover this area, using their defensive positioning and physicality to shut down wide passes or disrupt play.

Additionally, their presence would allow the full-backs to stay wider, cutting off those threatening wide passing options that opponents exploit, like in the image above.

In the second image, the Kovačić-Gündogan partnership struggles to stop an opposition counter-attack.

Players are able to bypass City’s midfield too easily, running directly at the defence.

This creates further problems for an already disorganized backline, dragging them even more out of position.

These scenarios illustrate how crucial a balanced midfield is to City’s defensive structure.

Gaps open up without strong defensive coverage in midfield, leaving the centre-backs exposed and making it easier for opponents to execute counter-attacks or exploit space in front of the box.

Manchester City Vs Sporting CP

A common theme in the Sporting game was the forward runs made by Viktor Gyökeres behind the defensive line, which he executed frequently during their UCL matchup.

The image above shows him making a run from his own half, eventually finding himself in a 1v1 situation against Ederson.

Manchester City has traditionally been structured to prevent such runs, with their defensive alignment designed to cut off passing lanes and control the space behind the backline.

However, the lack of defensive stability due to injuries to key players has disrupted this setup.

Without the usual coordination and coverage provided by their regular starters, City’s defensive alignment has been significantly off, making them vulnerable to these types of attacks.

Once again, in the second image above, we can see how basic straight-line runs into space are penetrating Manchester City’s defensive setup.

This is precisely what led to Sporting’s second goal.

After both Akanji and Walker were drawn into a brief positional error, a simple diagonal run was made, creating space in the centre.

The Sporting player, marked in a circle, capitalized on this gap by making a well-timed run behind the defence.

This scenario highlights how lapses in defensive alignment and coordination, combined with a lack of cover in the central areas, have been costly for City.

These straightforward movements, which City would typically handle with ease, are now creating significant problems due to the disruption in their defensive structure.

Conclusion

Manchester City’s four consecutive losses and rocky start to the season can largely be attributed to their defensive issues.

While they have no trouble progressing towards the goal or dictating play, their inability to defend their goal effectively has cost them the most.

The backline has been uncoordinated, and the absence of Rúben Dias, who plays a crucial role in keeping everything aligned, has been particularly costly.

Injuries to John Stones and Rodri, who could form a strong double pivot to provide extra defensive strength, further compounded the problem.

The reliance on young talent

creates a mix that isn’t ideal for maintaining a stable defence.

Individual errors have also been a significant factor in conceding goals.

One thing is for sure: the injuries to crucial players like Rodri, Stones, and Dias have ultimately cost Manchester City this season.