How Guardiola transformed the Premier League tactically

Breaking news from the world of sport: How Guardiola transformed the Premier League tacticallyImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Enzo Maresca is set to replace Pep Guardiola as Manchester City manager at the end of the seasonByUmir Irfan Football tactics correspondentPublished37 minutes agoIf you were to ask Premier League managers who their biggest influences in football have been, the majority are likely to mention Pep Guardiola. When Guardiola departs Manchester City, he will leave behind him an impressive legacy that extends beyond the team he has managed for a decade. His tactics have made waves from the Premier League through non-league football and into the grassroots game.

Yet not all of them were planned long in advance. Yes, Guardiola creates systems and tactics based on how he views football, but they are also determined by the players he has at his disposal. Here we take a closer look at how Guardiola transformed the Premier League.

Match Details

Shot-stoppers to ball-playing keepers and backWhen Guardiola took the City job, one of his first decisions was to oust fan favourite Joe Hart and instead play Claudio Bravo, then Ederson. Guardiola wanted a ball-playing goalkeeper - not common practice in the Premier League - and was criticised for it. Ten years on, it would be more controversial to suggest a top-flight team doesn't need a No 1 who is comfortable with the ball at their feet.

By the early 2020s, most Premier League teams had replaced traditional shot-stoppers with impressive passers - with varying degrees of success. At Manchester United, David de Gea was succeeded by Andre Onana. Aaron Ramsdale was replaced by David Raya at Arsenal, and Chelsea went from Edouard Mendy to Kepa Arrizabalaga to Robert Sanchez.

Yet Guardiola has been at City so long, we have started to see a reversal of the trend. With the rise in man-to-man high pressing from goal-kicks, the risk associated with building out from the back is higher than before. Space for attacking sides is further up the pitch.

Reactions and Expectations

At City, Ederson - a player who embodied Guardiola's tactics - was replaced by Gianluigi Donnarumma, who is a less capable passer. Donnarumma's one-against-one goalkeeping had been pivotal to Paris St-Germain's Champions League success last season, and Guardiola believed a change in style made his signing worthwhile. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Erling Haaland - City's goalkeeper and main forward this season - are vastly different to those such as Manuel Neuer and Lionel Messi who Guardiola coached earlier in his careerAgainst high-pressing sides, City have - at times - still built up short by asking midfielders such as Bernardo Silva and Rodri to drop deep and pick up the ball directly from the goalkeeper.

It is reminiscent of five-a-side football - and a trend we might see others copy over the next few seasons.

The story has climbed to the top of the sports agenda, with fans and analysts following closely.