On an ideal day for Pep Guardiola, the Manchester City manager saw plenty of hunger and ambition from his players
If Thursday saw plenty go wrong for Pep Guardiola in the first half of Manchester City’s league game at Chelsea, Sunday’s FA Cup tie could hardly have gone better.
Kyle Walker and Phil Foden enjoyed themselves in a more familiar formation, Joao Cancelo and Kalvin Phillips also clocked up some useful minutes and the team scored four goals against a rival to answer any questions about their goalscoring ability without Erling Haaland. Not only that, a team that has struggled for years with penalties scored two of them.
Both penalties were significant. Julian Alvarez did what strikers do and put his away before Riyad Mahrez will hope he has put three recent misses behind him to step back up for duties.
And the decisions over who would take the spotkicks were even more significant for the long term. Mahrez picked up the ball for the first one but Alvarez asked to take it instead; Mahrez, acknowledging the role confidence plays for strikers, relented for the 22-year-old and the Argentine has now scored in all five competitions he has played in for City since his move.
Alvarez showed during the World Cup he is unfazed by pressure and Guardiola will be delighted to have another player at his disposal who can show the calmness and accuracy needed for a specialist situation. Equally, Mahrez will get brownie points for being a team player.
Mahrez then showed the selfishness needed in goalscorers to deny Foden the chance to take the second kick despite the fact he had won it. Guardiola suggested the senior pro would take a break from penalty duties after he missed three out of four this season, yet he showed he has the mentality to try again.
Foden also deserves credit for stepping up. The 22-year-old has been mooted as a potential taker during City’s woes but does not have a professional penalty – converted or missed – to his name. The willingness to step up and take responsibility is a good development in a player who is still maturing, and displays the kind of hunger that the manager has been calling for.
City’s experience helped them to reel in Liverpool and then hold their nerve during the epic 2018/19 title race, and there were plenty of calm heads when they overcame an indifferent start in the 2020/21 campaign. Even last season, it was a serious effort to come from 2-0 down on the final day and rescue what looked like a horrendous afternoon and end to the Premier League.
Vincent Kompany, David Silva, Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho have all been sorely missed at City for the loss of leadership in the dressing room on top of their qualities on the pitch. But other players stepping up have helped to fill that void, and Guardiola can perhaps add Foden and Alvarez to his list after their ambitions against Chelsea.
