Midway through the season, Manchester City sit two points off Premier League leaders Arsenal with both sides having won 12 of their 17 league games so far. After last season's disappointing campaign, when the club that had won six titles in seven years only secured third place on the final day of the season, and a difficult start to the current campaign that saw them lose two of their opening three games, Pep Guardiola's team have roared back into form. There is a widespread belief about what a Guardiola team looks like, but every league title the Spaniard has won has been secured with a unique system. The current version of Manchester City is unlike anything we have seen from them before though, so just how has Guardiola reinvented his team tactically?

Source: BBC December 27, 2025 09:28 UTC