After completing a move to Manchester City in January 2022, Julian Alvarez was loaned back to his former club, River Plate. The Argentine striker joined the club at the start of the 2022–23 season and probably played the most successful season of his entire career. He won the 2022 FIFA World Cup with Argentina and then led Manchester City to a treble win in just his first season at the club.
Julian Alvarez was not a regular starter, and many fans demanded to see him regularly on the field. Pep had a star-studded lineup last season, and it was difficult for him to fit this young talent into the squad. He gave him limited game time, and the forward contributed with some crucial goals. The injury to Kevin De Bruyne in the current season has given this youngster more opportunity to showcase his talent on the field. Here is a look at how this young talent has proven to be a game-changer for this dominant Manchester City side.
Julian Alvarez is not only a proper number nine. He likes to rotate his position and has often taken on a few different roles for his team. When Haaland was injured in 2022–23, Alvarez was the lone number nine on the team. These two players also featured on the same team on quite a few occasions. This season, the forward is playing just behind the striker, and this has allowed this 23-year-old Argentine to showcase his talent.
Creativity & threats
Julian Alvarez was not getting enough opportunities in his first full season with the treble winners. He was unable to show consistency. This season, an injury to the key player has given this forward more opportunity, and he is stepping up to the task.
Managing just 35 progressive runs in the entire 2022–23 season, Alvarez already has 17 progressive runs to his name in the current season. He likes to penetrate the opposition penalty box from the left side and has a decent success rate.
Julian Alvarez has been a creative force for his teams too. He is on set-piece duties and has provided a few scoring chances for his team. In the current season, 15 shot assists have been made and two chances have been converted.
The 23-year-old Argentine chipped in with 15 goals in his first season at the club. Averaging 2.66 shots per 90 minutes, Alvarez managed to hit the target 44% of the time. His xG per shot was also on the higher side, at 0.18.
This season, Alvarez already has four goals to his name. His accuracy rate has shown a bit of improvement and is at 50%. The above visual shows that Alvarez can attempt long rangers and can get into different goal-scoring positions. He scored two goals in the league and two in the UEFA Champions League.
Julian Alvarez has started the season well for Manchester City. Pep and his men are defending three titles in 2023–24, and this will be a tough task for them. The 23-year-old will try to be the difference-maker in the squad.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
