Over the years, Pep Guardiola has been a manager who selects a strong starting XI, and once his plan starts working, he is least interested in changing the players. This setup has won many titles for him in his managerial career. However, with a busy season and players getting more prone to injuries, the Spanish midfielder has been forced to make a few changes to his tactics. In the last season, Pep changed the formation to 3-2-4-1, and the team gave him the results that won the treble for them.
A lot of youngsters have grown under the Spanish manager. Manchester City have been a hub for young talents, and one of them is Rico Lewis. The 18-year-old got a taste of first-team football in 2022–23 and won the treble in his first season. He plays for the English U21 team and is a very versatile player. Cole Palmer was another player who was getting more opportunities than Lewis, but he decided to move to Chelsea. This clearly opened the door for Rico Lewis. Both players feature in a different role, but Pep only has one or two other youngsters who can show the same level as their senior pros. Let’s take a look at what this England U21 international does for Manchester City, can he get more chances to showcase his talent?
Versatile full-back
Pep Guardiola likes to rotate the positions of his players. His training allows the player to gain more confidence on the ball, and they can fit in different positions. Rico Lewis is a right-back who can play as a right-central midfielder as well. Kyle Walker is ever-present on the City team. He is only rested before the crucial games, and that is the only time when Lewis plays as a right-back. In their recent win over Young Boys in the UEFA Champions League, Lewis played in place of Walker. His ability to play in the centre allows him to take on the inverted full-back role, which is what Cancelo used to do at Manchester City.
Rico Lewis is a strong figure in the defence and wins more of his ground-level duels. He struggles a bit aerially and that is what most of the full-backs do. Lewis has covered a lot of defensive territory and made some crucial interceptions in the current season.
The 18-year-old has the ability to carry the ball from inside his own half to the attacking half. He can even get into the box with these runs and create trouble for the opposition. Since playing for the first team, Lewis has completed more than 70% of his dribbles.
Ball rotation is the biggest policy under Pep Guardiola. The Spanish manager demands his players move the ball quickly and find spaces to break the opposition’s defence. This season, Lewis already has an assist to his name. He scored his first goal in 2022–23, and his first assist was registered against RB Leipzig. Averaging 43.1 passes per 90 minutes, Lewis delivers 89% of them.
Rico Lewis has impressed whenever he gets the chance. He will look to aid his team more and help them win more major titles in the current season.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
