In a Premier League season where most teams have failed to find consistency, there was a feeling that if one team could discover a bit of form at the right time then they could get a real foothold in the race for the title and pull away from the struggling pack.
That team now, of course, turns out to be Manchester City. Pep Guardiola’s side started the season uncharacteristically slow by their high standards. However, whilst the rest slumped around the festive period, City found their groove and now with 11 successive Premier League victories in the bag, they boast a seven point advantage at the top of the table over their nearest rivals Manchester United, who they also have a game in hand over, and this online betting operator has them as firm favourites to win their third title in four years.
There is a lot of talk on who to thank for their resurgence from the middle regions of the Premier League to sitting pretty on the perch of the table. İlkay Gündoğan of course deserves the praise he is receiving at the minute, whilst John Stones and summer signing Rúben Dias have formed a formidable partnership at the back in the absence of fellow newbie Nathan Aké and Aymeric Laporte.
However, there is one player who has arguably had the biggest impact throughout City’s lengthy unbeaten streak, and he has flown somewhat under the radar whilst the aforementioned stars have stolen the headlines, and that is right-back João Cancelo.
Cancelo arrived at the Etihad Stadium from Juventus in the summer of 2019 for a hefty fee of £60 million, making him the most expensive right-back in the world. But he largely failed to impress in his first season in England, making just 17 league appearances as Liverpool ran away with title, and his future was in doubt heading into the summer.
However, this season he has revelled in a new role given to him by Guardiola, and his influence has become more apparent on the pitch. In fact, his ability to come more central and help City maintain possession and stop being countered has been accredited for the reason Gündoğan is having the incredible season he is.
When City are attacking, Cancelo’s job is step into an almost centre-midfield position. In the absence of the ever-reliable Kevin de Bruyne, this is crucial as it allows Gündoğan to get further up the pitch. Hence how he was in the six-yard box when he scored his eighth and ninth league goals of the campaign in the 4-1 trashing over Liverpool recently.
“We have known for so long now about Pep’s full-backs going into midfield,” said Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher after the Liverpool game. “It’s nothing new. He’s done it since he first came.
“But when Cancelo steps into midfield, it then means that Gündoğan isn’t a holding midfield player anymore. He’s an attacking eight, he’s a number 10, he’s between the lines and I think this relationship between those two has been pivotal. He’s always making penetrating runs, putting his arm up and wanting to get involved.”
Cancelo’s ability to play the role was evident against Liverpool. Whilst he was deployed deeper, given the threat of the Reds, as City attacked the poor Liverpool side, he was often covering for Gündoğan in the middle of the park, and in the build up to City’s opener, he showed that he is more than comfortable with all the aspects of playing more central.
It’s not just in this role that he thrives either. In the 5-0 win over West Brom, a game in which he scored and assisted, his heatmap shows that he played very central, whilst in the 2-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford he was deployed largely at left-back.
When Manchester City are moving through the gears at ease like they are now, they are incredibly hard to stop. But whilst the likes of Stones and Gündoğan are soaking up the glory for their side’s impressive run, it’s fair to say that Cancelo deserves just as much praise as well.