[epl.told] Pep’s ‘replacement judgment’, which was faster than usual, leads to victory
Coach Pep Guardiola’s quick decision to replace led the team to victory.
Manchester City recorded a 1-0 victory against Chelsea in the 19th round of the English Premier League (EPL) in the 2022-23 season held at Stamford Bridge in London, England at 5 am (Korean time) on the 6th. As a result, Man City recorded 12 wins, 3 draws and 2 losses (39 points), narrowing the gap with Arsenal to 5 points.
No more points should be dropped. Man City, who had aimed to chase ‘Leader’ Arsenal from the beginning of the season, lost the chance to win points due to a recent defeat against Brentford and a draw against Everton. In such a situation, Arsenal went on a winning streak and widened the gap with Man City even more. Fortunately, Arsenal only scored one point in the last game, and Man City had a chance to chase. In a situation where one less game was played, the difference between the points was 8 points, so it was necessary to accumulate points quickly.
The first half against ‘strong’ Chelsea did not go as planned. Manager Pep Guardiola used irregular tactics, placing João Cancelo as a right winger and forming a back three with Kyle Walker, Nathan Ake and John Stones.
However, the effect was minimal. Cancelo tried to dribble actively, but the success rate was not high. Kevin De Bruyne’s pass success rate was also lower than usual, and Elling Holland seldom caught the ball. As if they had perfectly figured out Man City’s team color, they failed to attack Chelsea’s line, and rather caused a crisis several times through counterattacks. 메이저놀이터
Coach Guardiola, who finished the first half in such a haphazard manner, used a replacement card at the start of the second half. Rico Luis and Manuel Akanji were put in except for Cancelo and Walker, who were sluggish.
It was an unfamiliar sight for Man City fans. Rarely has Guardiola, who is conservative about substitutions, made such quick decisions. Guardiola, who has painstakingly crafted the starting line-up and has great confidence in the squad he has chosen, is notorious for not using substitutes very often. He has also been criticized for his late judgment, such as making his first substitution at the end of the 80th minute, even when the game was not going well.
However, in this match, he took quick action as if to admit his mistake in judgment. In the 15th minute of the second half, Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden, who were in good condition, were removed and Riyad Mahrez and Jack Grealish were even put in.
And this choice made perfect sense. Unlike Cancelo, who was side-oriented, Luis played a center-oriented play, which gave Mahrez more freedom of movement. In the end, in the 18th minute of the second half, Grealish and Mahrez, who appeared as substitutes, scored a joint goal and took the lead, which became the winning goal. Coach Graham Porter used a replacement card late after allowing the lead, but it did not affect the result. It was a game in which Guardiola’s decision to diagnose the game with quicker judgment and boldly reflect it in his tactics stood out.
