With a surprising 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest in the 35th round of the Premier League on the evening of April 28, thanks to Pep Guardiola’s unexpected changes, Man City maintains an impressive form, continuing the title race with Arsenal.

As visitors to the City Ground, Man City’s mission was to win because in the previous match, Arsenal – a team fiercely competing with them – secured three points against Tottenham. The challenge for the Manchester City side was not easy as Nottingham Forest was eager for points to secure their position in the league. Additionally, The Citizens did not have their strongest lineup as many key players were absent.

However, Pep Guardiola, the master of innovation, still proved his prowess. With Foden and Kovacic absent, the Spanish coach opted for Jack Grealish and Doku as replacements. The surprising aspect was that Jack Grealish and Doku rarely appeared together before due to their similar playing styles and positions.

In addition to these changes, Nathan Ake and Josko Gvardiol swapped roles in defense. Josko Gvardiol was pushed out to the left flank, contributing more to the attacking front, while Nathan Ake played as a central defender alongside Manuel Akanji.

Guardiola’s alterations brought about surprising effectiveness. In the first half, the ball almost exclusively rolled in Nottingham Forest’s half. The two flanks with Jack Grealish and Doku, full of pace, made it difficult for the home team’s defense. Man City dominated possession with over 70% and continuously threatened Nottingham Forest’s goal. Man City demonstrated that Guardiola’s decision to bench Erling Haaland – the striker with 20 goals in the Premier League this season – was not an issue for them.

On a day playing in an unfamiliar position, Josko Gvardiol excelled. The Croatian player tightly marked the most dangerous threat from the home team, Anthony Elanga. Moreover, Josko Gvardiol’s runs down the wing were as speedy as those of typical attacking players. In the first half, it was Josko Gvardiol who cleverly found space and headed accurately to open the scoring for Man City.

Witnessing Josko Gvardiol shining, the commentators on Sky Sport exclaimed, “It’s insane, Guardiola is a true football genius and a top tactical thinker. He has identified Josko Gvardiol as a player capable of running the wing and attacking. Man City’s defense now has three, sometimes four, center-backs, which makes them proactive in attack and solid in defense.”

If in the first half Nottingham Forest faced the speedy players of Man City, in the second half, they were troubled by Matheus Nunes and Mateo Kovacic, both technically skilled. Additionally, De Bruyne – a standout player from the beginning of the match – was given a free role by Guardiola. In the 71st minute, the Belgian player delivered a precise pass, putting Haaland in a face-off position with goalkeeper Murillo. Haaland made no mistake to seal the 2-0 victory for Man City.

The win against Nottingham Forest marks Man City’s unbeaten streak of 19 consecutive matches in the Premier League in the 2023-2024 season. They have also won their last 5 matches to accumulate 79 points.

Currently, Pep Guardiola’s team ranks second, trailing league leaders Arsenal by 1 point but still holding a game in hand. Man City’s remaining three fixtures are considered lighter than Arsenal’s, and they are aiming for their fourth consecutive title.