Since defeating Sunderland, City have beaten Crystal Palace and West Ham three times before an away win at Nottingham Forest. Is there a feeling Guardiola is on the verge of another long winning streak?
I definitely think so. We’ve won our last eight games and, most importantly, our defense is looking pretty solid right now.
Our squad depth is a bit thin at the moment due to the Africa Cup of Nations and other injuries, so we need to get through this busy Christmas period and hopefully get some players back.
City are not currently using traditional wingers as more technically gifted players Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki operate behind Erling Haaland. What makes the current system so effective?
I wouldn’t say this system is particularly effective.
I think we looked more threatening with Doku on the left and Foden/Cherki on the right. Savinho is considered too inconsistent to start regularly in place of Doku, so I think Pep is just trying to get as many of his in-form players on as possible.
Cherki himself appears to be fully settled now, having registered two assists in the last game against Sunderland. At only 22 years old, you seem to have really gotten to know an old-school player full of skills. It’s just a joy to watch him play, isn’t it?
Yes, Cherki has been great so far.
He adapted quickly to the Premier League and the physical changes he underwent when injured at the start of the season showed he has the dedication and work-rate to match his talent.
One of the players who has caught everyone’s eye this season is Nico O’Reilly, who is tipped to be England’s starting left-back at the World Cup. Who makes him so good?
O’Reilly embodies everything a modern player needs.
He is a physical freak but also very smart technically and tactically.
The transfer market opened on the day we both met. Are you looking forward to Manchester City getting active? Where would you like to add depth?
The arrival of Antoine Semenho from Bournemouth looks likely, but I’m not sure if any other players will join.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Oscar Bobb leaves in January.
I did notice that City’s bench was weaker than usual against Forest at the weekend. Do you think this will be an issue as the pace of the game gets faster?
Lack of depth is certainly an issue. Losing two players in the Africa Cup of Nations is not ideal but who am I to tell Sunderland fans about losing players in the Africa Cup of Nations!
We just have to hope that the s&c team and Pep manage the player workload accordingly.
Sunderland are unbeaten at the Stadium of Light this season, so if you were Regis LeBlis, how would you prepare to beat Manchester City?
I think you guys still want to transition as much as possible against us. Although we are much safer than last season’s poor performance, this is still our weakest area.
How do you think Guardiola will deploy his tactics at the Stadium of Light?
Pep rarely changes his opponents’ style of play and I don’t think Thursday’s game will be any different.
We will most likely adopt the 4-3-3 formation we have adopted in recent weeks, with the wingers cutting inside to hold the ball and the full-backs pushing forward and maintaining width. The addition of Savinho could change that.
Are there any players missing? What do you think Guardiola’s starting lineup will be?
Six players injured against Forest are likely to miss Thursday.
I expect we will have a similar starting XI, with Savinho likely replacing Reynders and Foden moving into midfield.
(4-3-2-1) Donnarumma, Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly, Silva, Gonzalez, Foden, Savinho, Cherki, Haaland.
When I think of Manchester City at home I think of that famous Gian winner – what’s your score prediction this time around?
I hope we can win two to zero. I believe our defense can keep your relatively raw offense quiet, even if the home crowd is roaring, and our offense is easily the best in the league so should be able to break through your defense like we did a few weeks ago.
