Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, has admitted that playing against players like Bukayo Saka of Arsenal and Mohamed Salah of Liverpool this season showed him the value of strong full-back defense.
There was a noticeable shift in Guardiola's strategy this season as Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji spent a significant portion of the campaign helping out on the left. Guardiola's full-backs have typically been known for the attacking play, either flying down the wings or drifting into midfield, but there was a noticeable change in tactic from the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager.
Both Ake and Akanji, who are center backs by trade, have had absolutely fantastic seasons in this new position, and Guardiola has now acknowledged that City's struggles against Saka and Salah gave him a fresh perspective on defending.
Nathan Ake has been essential to our success. After his team defeated Chelsea on Sunday, Guardiola spoke to Sky Sports.
"I discovered this season that you need proper defenders to win one-on-one duels whether you play against Bukayo Saka, Vinicius Junior, Gabriel Martinelli, or Mohamed Salah. They only need one move to defeat you. Nathan provided us a jolt that we had previously lacked.
Oleksandr Zinchenko, a left back for City, was sold to Arsenal last summer. Joao Cancelo, a right back, was moved on loan to Bayern Munich with the intention of leaving the club permanently, although that seems unlikely to happen.
Young right-back Rico Lewis was elevated to the senior squad in their place, and Kyle Walker experienced a renaissance at the conclusion of the season, particularly after turning in a standout performance to contain Vinicius during the second leg of the Champions League semifinal.
After his team won the championship, Walker commented, "This group of lads are second to none. They are professionals and winners, and I believe that is how we succeed most of the time.
"However, we're not done yet. We play in the FA Cup against Manchester United, a team we loathe, and then play in the Champions League final.
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