Pep Guardiola needs to build Manchester City around Kevin De Bruyne, Leroy Sane to challenge for titles

Benjamin Mendy, Kyle Walker, Ilkay Gundogan, Kevin De Bruyne, Leroy Sane, Bernardo Silva, Fernandinho, David Silva, Raheem Sterling, Yaya Toure, Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero.

These are the players Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola looks at to fill the top half of the pitch every week. The talent they possess is immense and each of them is a goal threat. However, none of them can claim to be a lock-in at their position as the battle for places in the playing XI is almost ridiculous.

Thankfully, however, City will wage war on no less than four fronts this season. The big prizes are the domestic league and the Champions League but Guardiola is used to picking up literally every trophy he can get his hands on. Odds then, are against City slacking off in the FA Cup and League Cup.

It will thus be a balancing exercise to pick the playing XI on match days. Over at Real Madrid, Zinedine Zidane has shown the importance of a rigorous rotation policy . Guardiola too would look to give his key players rest at different times of season, especially while handling injury-prone men like Vincent Kompany and Aguero.

That being said, every coach needs to know his best XI. The ones he can count on for the big games when the continental royalty comes calling. And it is here that things start getting tricky.

3-1-4-2 with an attacking overload

Guardiola has been partial to a 3-1-4-2 this season which relies heavily on the wing-backs rampaging up and down the sidelines. Fernandinho has played as the holding midfielder till now and should expect to keep his place even with Gundogan returning from injury. It is likely that De Bruyne, Gundogan and the Silvas will compete for the two central attacking midfield places.

Out of these, De Bruyne’s star has shone the brightest so far. The outrageously talented Belgian seems to have taken the mantle of orchestrator-in-chief from David as he is at the heart of almost every City attack.

As Firstpost noted earlier, what sets De Bruyne apart is his vision and passing. At times, he plays like he is being fed a top-down view of the field as his first-time passes to release the forwards are a thing of beauty. Expect him to more than match his league-high 18 assists from last season as he will be key to any title challenges City are able to mount.

David is starting to show rare glimpses of age as the younger guns impose themselves on the game more and more. While still integral to Guardiola’s plans for now, he would be looking over his shoulder as Gundogan and Bernardo make their case for inclusion in the game team.

The case for Sane over Sterling

The wingback positions are exceedingly important in a Guardiola system. They provide the width to the team and constantly hug the byline, thereby creating space for the midfielders and forwards inside.

Kyle Walker is the prime candidate for the right side of the pitch, which leaves Sane, Sterling and Mendy to compete for the left wingback position. Mendy has impressed in his appearances this season but the scarcity of centrebacks could tempt Guardiola to play him as part of the back three. This would keep the defence sprightly and free up the left wingback position to be a straight shootout between Sane and Sterling.

Quite frankly, it is a no-contest.

Has a player ever been overrated for his speed as much as Sterling has been? At least not in recent memory certainly. Sterling can scamper like a cat on a hot tin roof but that seems to be the limit of his game most days. While dribbling, he is much more likely to run into a cul-de-sac than escape his defender. His decision-making is questionable and his passing patchy. But worst of all is his shooting. He tends to scuff his shots more often than not and his distance shooting is woeful. He certainly doesn’t have the thunderbolt that his German rival has.

Sane, on the other hand, is a genuine all-round talent. He is a very direct runner and can get past his defender with ease. His link-up play with both David and De Bruyne is immaculate and he is constantly running off the ball to create space. And he has a fierce shot which was clearly on display on Saturday against Liverpool. He is also taller and heavier than Sterling and is much harder to knock off the ball.

Mendy has said that he has already developed an instinctive understanding with Sane. With these two strong runners tearing up the left wing and David pulling the strings infield, opposing rightbacks are sure to have a torrid time.

Kinks still to be worked out

In terms of personnel, Guardiola needs to incorporate Bernardo into the team quickly as the Portuguese player has looked out of sorts in his limited game time. Gundogan will surely be an important part of the puzzle but it is yet unclear if there is a first team berth waiting for him on his return to full fitness. Finally, he also needs to figure out who replaces Fernandinho as the defensive midfielder when the Brazilian needs rest as none of the others seem to have a defensive thought in their heads.

It is tempting to look at the performance against Liverpool as proof of City having arrived. One only needs to go back to the Everton game to burst that bubble though, as City had struggled mightily to create clear chances. This team still needs to show that it can do it on a cold, wet, windy Tuesday night in err… West Brom. City’s comparatively easy Champions League group means that the real test might come only in the knockout stages of the tournament. That said, the Manchester derby at Old Trafford in December is shaping up to be one of the matches of the season.

It would surprise everyone if this season turns out to be Guardiola’s most successful one. But it could well be his most interesting one.