Manchester City defender Joao Cancelo was left out of the starting XI against Leeds and faces fresh competition for his place
It was a surprise to see Joao Cancelo left out of the starting line-up at Leeds this week precisely because he has been so everpresent in the Manchester City side.
Joao Cancelo is facing a challenge
As a result of his ability and fitness, and the lack of cover Pep Guardiola has in the full-back positions, Cancelo had started 50 of the previous 52 Premier League games either on the left or the right in a run dating back to the beginning of last season; one of the two games he missed was through suspension rather than choice. If you are writing names on the teamsheet, Cancelo has been arguably above even Ederson for the last 15 months.
Yet against Leeds he was only named as a substitute as 18-year-old Rico Lewis played instead. Cancelo was involved with Portugal up to the World Cup quarter-finals but did not play every game, and the City manager said publicly that Lewis had earned the spot with his performance against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup.
Nobody expects Cancelo’s absence from the team to be lengthy and it would be a bigger surprise to see him left out for the home game against Everton, especially with a busy calendar ahead. Yet the call to start Lewis has reinforced the greater challenge that the former Juventus defender faces for a spot in the team.
As well as Lewis, the signing of Manu Akanji has given Guardiola more flexibility in his defence. The Swiss international has hit the ground running with impressive consistency, and his versatility – as well as John Stones when fit – allows the manager to use a centre-back that can cover the right side of the pitch.
On the other flank, Nathan Ake’s form has also been impossible to ignore. In his third season at the Etihad, Ake has been in his best form and has picked up exactly where he left off before his accomplished World Cup.
The form of these three players has meant that Cancelo is no longer the automatic pick that he was for all of last season. City’s increased strength has weakened the right-back’s position.
That puts the onus on the Portugal international to convince Guardiola again that he is the best option for every game. As the manager says, those that behave and perform the best in training will be given the chance to perform and if Lewis was undroppable after the Liverpool game there is no reason why Cancelo can’t re-cement his status in the side.
He has battled back from struggling to adapt in his first season, but the quality of the players he is up against makes it the biggest challenge Cancelo has faced at the Etihad.
Man City player reaction at Leeds delights Pep Guardiola over new deal
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has been delighted with the reaction of his players after the World Cup
Pep Guardiola is thrilled with the way his Manchester City players have bounced back into action
Pep Guardiola says the performance of his Manchester City players at Leeds makes him proud to have extended his stay at the club.
Guardiola signed another contract extension during the World Cup, his fourth contract at the Etihad that will take his time in Manchester to nine years if he stays for the duration – five more than he managed at any other club. City were delighted to keep the man that has won them four of the last five Premier League titles as they continue to search for an elusive Champions League crown.
The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss has admitted that he has unfinished business in the competition, but has overseen remarkable domestic success because of the relentless consistency of his players in winning up and down the country. As the Premier League gets back underway, City are in second place and heavy favourites once more for the title.
A 3-2 win over Liverpool put them into the Carabao Cup quarter-finals and a 3-1 win over Leeds at Elland Road moved them back ahead of Newcastle in the table; more importantly, stressed to Guardiola again that his group of players are motivated to defend their title. While it does not guarantee them success, it tells the manager that his reasons for signing a new deal were sound.
“I’ve been surprised, not because we have done it for many years, but that you have no idea how people are going to come back from the World Cup. When you’re not with the players every day, they go off with their countries, and there is success or not, played good or bad.
“They are in 25 degrees in Qatar, 25 degrees in Abu Dhabi. Perfect, calm.
“And then you come here with this weather, immediately to Elland Road against the most intense team in the Premier League. You don’t know how you’re going to react.
“But they reacted really well, I’d say. The commitment made me feel that let’s try to do it again. If we don’t do that against these opponents then it won’t be possible.
“That is the challenge: to do it again. How nice is that? What I’m proud of the most is that we are still there. The same in the Carabao Cup, beating Chelsea and Liverpool. Still we are there.
“That is what makes me proud, gives me the feeling that I want to continue with these guys in this club. And I know that if we drop then it will not be enough.
“Winning four in five years and seeing the way we played at Leeds, after the contenders all won, I see the desire. It made me feel, ‘Okay, let’s prove ourselves again’. The moment I feel something is broken I will resign or not extend.”
City are not set to spend in the January transfer market after one of their busiest summer windows in years, bringing in a host of players including Erling Haaland to refresh the squad and replace key figures such as Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus who left for new challenges. While the majority of the squad are experienced title-winners, Guardiola is also blooding homegrown talent with young full-back Rico Lewis starting his first Premier League game in the win over Leeds.
The Blues boss knows how hard it is for players to stay motivated if they stay at the same club for years, and credits Lewis for sparking the rest of the squad and himself to keep fresh and motivated.
“When we invested six or seven years ago after not winning, you have an extra [determination],” he said. “But we’ve got it.
“Some players have five titles. That is why we need Rico Lewis. For him, this is all new: ‘I want to be there, to play, to stay here for a long time’.
“His energy is contagious, he gives it to me and the players. It is so necessary, because if you rest on what we’ve done… you look at the past then no, no, no.
“It’s about how you behave. If you behave, you play. If you don’t behave, then you are not in.”
Source: manchestereveningnews.co.uk
