Manchester City use full-backs and movement to replace Sergio Aguero

How Manchester City replaced injured striker Sergio Aguero during their 1-0 win away to Chelsea in the Premier League.

Pep Guardiola no doubt spent the best part of two days agonising over one simple question: How do you replace one of the most prolific strikers in world football?

It was a dilemma posed to the Manchester City manager after Sergio Aguero broke a rib in a car crash in Amsterdam less than 48 hours before the trip to Stamford Bridge to take on last season’s Premier League champions Chelsea.

On the face of it, Guardiola’s response appeared refreshingly simple. He just needed to put goal-getting Brazilian Gabriel Jesus in Aguero’s place.

Yet even though Jesus started at the Bridge, replacing Aguero required so much more than a simple swap. Guardiola turned to his full-backs and midfielders David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne for the answers in what was an emphatic 1-0 win for the Manchester club.

City went to Chelsea with a four-man defence featuring Kyle Walker and Fabian Delph at full-back. The pair proved instrumental in making sure Aguero wasn’t missed.

Specifically, Walker and Delph tucking into central areas was the key tactical ploy behind City’s win. Both frequently roamed into the middle to join in with City’s pretty passing patterns.

By doing so, Walker and Delph helped City outnumber the Blues in midfield. Their combination with Fernandinho and one of Silva or De Bruyne always gave the Citizens an extra man.

Tucked-in full-backs are a key tenant of Guardiola’s blueprint for playing. He didn’t have confidence in last season’s options, somewhat surprising since former Arsenal pair Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy were well-schooled on the ball from their days with the Gunners.

Walker’s arrival and using converted midfielder Delph to replace the injured Benjamin Mendy have given the Citizens two full-backs comfortable on the ball when overloading central areas.

Winning the numbers game meant City bossed the ball. The visitors hogged possession to the tune of 62 percent, per Sky Sports. No small feat since Chelsea packed Tiemoue Bakayoko, N’Golo Kante and Cesc Fabregas into the middle.

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However, what City did off the ball really provided the platform for this statement in the title race. In particular, the direct and intelligent movement of the away side’s attacking players was pivotal.

Without Aguero as the focal point in the middle, City often vacated the space and let others take turns rotating into it. Very often, it was Silva or De Bruyne who made a run through the middle.

When they did, they were usually ahead of Jesus. The Brazilian often peeled off onto the left flank to create the open space in central areas. De Bruyne and Silva exploited it, as did wingers Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane.

Silva and De Bruyne were able to get forward more often because Delph and Walker were reinforcing central midfield behind them. De Bruyne has usually played deeper this season, but took advantage of the greater freedom he was afforded to score the winner.

The move began with De Bruyne pushing forward into the No. 10 role. An astute pass from ball-playing centre-back John Stones found De Bruyne, who flicked the ball to Jesus.

The South American striker returned the favour with a deft touch De Bruyne emphatically slotted beyond Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

It was a goal owing everything to De Bruyne and Silva’s willingness and freedom to run in behind. The latter was actually ahead of De Bruyne when the shot was taken, a vivid illustration of how far forward the pair were playing.

City’s best chance of adding a second also showed the effectiveness of De Bruyne’s runs beyond the striker. Substitute Ilkay Gundogan, who had replaced the impressive Silva, released Sterling on the right.

Meanwhile, Jesus had again left the middle and drifted onto the left of the box. As he did, De Bruyne ran into the vacated space centrally and took markers away from the striker.

Sterling picked out Jesus whose volley was goal-bound until a desperate clearance from Antonio Rudiger. Once again, City’s willingness to fill the areas usually occupied by Aguero with runs from deep had pulled the Chelsea defence apart.

Having his full-backs tuck in to create overloads in midfield gave De Bruyne and Silva the freedom to regularly run into Aguero territory. Jesus’ penchant for drifting wide created the space for those central runs from deep.

The combination made City a class above, even without their attacking talisman. Guardiola’s men knowing how to win big matches without relying on Aguero is an ominous sign for the rest of the title chasers.