Grealish in, Bernardo out - How Man City will line up for 2021-22 season
Predicting a Pep Guardiola line-up can be a fool’s errand. The Manchester City coach is always liable to pull out a wildcard, such as in last season’s Champions League final when he moved Ilkay Gundogan into a holding midfield role, taking everyone by surprise. But with a football brain that never stops analysing and recalibrating what is happening on the pitch, coupled with a multitude of intelligent and flexible players, it can often be what gives City an extra edge. But, over the course of the campaign, Guardiola’s innovation can make the difference in breaking opponents down and be the reason why his side can go on the sort of winning streaks that blow away their rivals. Manchester United finished 14 points behind the champions last season and it would probably have been a tighter title race had Ole Gunnar Solskjaer found a way to beat relegated West Brom, Fulham and Sheffield United both home and away. Against stubborn sides, City have options to find a way through. Against to...