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Man City continued their superb Champions League journey this season with a quarter-final first leg win over Atletico Madrid. The English outfit won 1-0 in Manchester.
Kevin De Bruyne scored the only goal of the game 20 minutes from time. He was set up by talented youngster Phil Foden. It took the England midfielder just two minutes to make an impact off the bench, sliding through to the Belgian who made no mistake in front of goal.
City boss Pep Guardiola hasn’t always turned to his bench in times of need. But given the huge array of talent he has available, it would be foolish not to.
The Manchester outfit have been scoring for fun this season. They boast a long list of talented attacking players, all of which can seemingly play anywhere in Pep’s front three.
But what is Guardiola’s best attacking trio when all of these stars are available?
Big result 👌
🔵 1-0 🔴 #ManCity pic.twitter.com/v1pEOrCMZT
— Manchester City (@ManCity) April 5, 2022
Six Man City stars fighting for attacking role
At least six City players are eyeing a starting spot in Guardiola’s front three. That number could be pushed to eight if certain midfielders are included.
The club are fighting on many fronts this season, meaning the boss has the luxury of chopping and changing his starting trio.
Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling got the nod against Atletico on Tuesday. But it could just have easily been Jack Grealish, Phil Foden and Gabriel Jesus, or indeed any three of the six players.
It depends, of course, on the manager’s wishes. But form is also an important factor, with Sterling coming back into the frame in recent times thanks to his efforts in front of goal.
The club have operated without a natural striker for some time now. And that is bad news for Jesus. Although the Brazilian can play out wide too, he certainly prefers a central role.
But Guardiola has the likes of Sterling, Silva, Grealish and Foden at his disposal. All of these attackers are more than capable of playing centrally in City’s intricate system. Even De Bruyne has been thrown into the mix in that front three on occasion.
It truly is one of the most potent attacking line-ups in world football. But Guardiola has a huge task on his hands in keeping all six forwards happy. A Champions League trophy would certainly help ease any issues that the attackers may have.
Foden sends reminder to Guardiola
Foden made an instant impact against Atletico. And it wasn’t just his assist that caught the eye, with the midfielder impressing both on and off the ball for the remainder of the game.
The 21-year-old has been a key member of the squad this season. He boasts 11 goals and nine assists in all competitions. It’s a superb return for the youngster, who has often had to compete with several high-profile players for a starting role.
But he has shown time and again that he is worthy of that starting spot. Moreover, his versatility is also hugely impressive. Foden can occupy any spot in Guardiola’s front three, and any position within the midfield three.
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