Over the years, Pep Guardiola has shown that he does not hesitate to take perceived tactical risks in the biggest of games.
More often than not, the Catalan’s bold decisions have paid off in Manchester City’s favour.
City supporters will be counting on Pep Guardiola to pull a rabbit out of the hat and stun Ange Postecoglou on Saturday.
Manchester City have lost four games in a row and it is high-time for them to return to winning ways.
By beating Tottenham Hotspur, the Sky Blues could send a statement to the rest of the Premier League that while they have been down, they are certainly not out.
One player who has been one of Manchester City’s bright sparks in recent games is Matheus Nunes.
- Who is Matheus Nunes? Get to know the midfielder
Guardiola should test Matheus Nunes midfield experiment vs Tottenham
The 26-year-old has found a new home as a left-winger.
However, a revelation emerged on Wednesday that Pep Guardiola views Matheus Nunes as a midfield option due to his graft and the energy he brings to the table. It was also claimed that there is a slight possibility that the Portuguese international could be handpicked to replace Rodri as a holding midfielder.
Nunes has shown on a number of instances that he can be quite erratic in possession, as exemplified by his decision to dribble, eventually get dispossessed and concede a penalty that led to Viktor Gyokeres’ second goal in Manchester City’s 4-1 loss against Sporting CP.
As a result, it might be far too risky to play the former Wolves speedster as a defensive midfielder, especially against a team that presses high up the pitch like Spurs. However, Pep Guardiola should trial Nunes in central midfield against Ange Postecoglou’s side.
Guardiola admitted Bournemouth overpowered Manchester City with their “intensity” and a potential reason behind why that was the case was due to their ageing double pivot of Mateo Kovacic (30) and Ilkay Gundogan (34).
Even during City’s 3-2 win against Fulham, Kovacic and Gundogan often struggled to cope with defending counter-attacks; a facet Tottenham thrive in as exemplified in their recent 2-1 victory against City.
Nunes has been faster than Haaland (35.74 km/h) in the Premier League this season, recording the second-highest top speed (36.72 km/h) out of any player in the division this campaign.
The versatile midfielder’s pace and defensive intensity stood out against Wolves, as he tracked back from high up the pitch and won back possession for Manchester City in the dying embers of the contest.
Against Bournemouth as well, Nunes often won the ball back for the Premier League champions several times, sprinting back to the defence and winning his duel.
The former Sporting speedster has the physicality and pace to cope with the hustle and bustle of a midfield battle, an aspect Tottenham will especially bring due to having athletically gifted midfielders like Dejan Kulusevski and Pape Matar Sarr on their books.
For Pep Guardiola to persist with both Kovacic and Gundogan as his double pivot against a team that seems happy not to keep the ball and trouble them in transition could be a massive risk.
Guardiola claimed Nunes is “as fast” as Haaland on the counter-attack, adding that he is “unstoppable” when running for 30 to 40 metres.
Considering the Manchester City boss tends to play a pair of attacking midfielders, with one of the pivot players being asked to play in an advanced role, Nunes’ incredible speed could allow him to go up and down the pitch.
The solution for Pep Guardiola to avoid the Rio de Janeiro-born attacker being caught on the ball in deeper positions would be to pair him with either Gundogan or Kovacic, two players who are incredible reliable in possession.
As a result, Nunes’ energy will allow Manchester City to tame a direct Tottenham side while either one of his potential partners in midfield will take more of the responsibility on the ball in build-up; forming a balanced duo in the middle of the park.
Nunes revealed he can play in a deep midfield role
Quizzed about Rodri’s season-ending ACL injury, Nunes stated that he is well-capable of playing in a deeper position in midfield as a part of a double pivot.
Nunes said via The London Evening Standard: “At Wolves, I played more as a winger and last year here I played more as a 10 but when I played for Sporting I always played in the double pivot so I’m used to every position now.”
“We have shown that if any player is out we have another one that is ready and has top quality to play. Last year it happened with Erling [Haaland] and Kevin [De Bruyne] and we still managed to win. This year, I know we will be the same.”
Considering Nunes thrived in Manchester City’s defeat against Tottenham and even got on the scoresheet, albeit as a left-winger, he would have the confidence to showcase his worth against them as well.
With how porous City have been in midfield, which has affected them defensively this season, Pep Guardiola will perhaps also be feeling that he has to change his setup against Spurs.
Nunes is a player who can add a fresh dynamic to this Manchester City side and make them far resolute than they have been in recent weeks.
