On December 30th, Beijing time, in the 19th round of the Premier League, Manchester City defeated Leicester City away from home. In the first half, Savigno scored for Manchester City, and in the second half, Haaland contributed a goal, helping Manchester City secure 3 points. This victory ended Manchester City's five-game winless streak, providing a sigh of relief for the team's head coach, Pep Guardiola. Moreover, Manchester City discovered a pleasant surprise during the match. They found a gem with a 2-0 victory! A 22-year-old rising star shone brightly, earning high praise from Coach Guardiola, and a new Palmer was born.
In previous matches, Manchester City typically maintained a high possession rate, leading their opponents in ball control. However, in this game against Leicester City, Manchester City changed their tactical approach, playing more pragmatically without excessively pursuing possession. Their tactics became simpler and more efficient. In this match, Manchester City had a possession rate of 46%-54%, trailing behind Leicester City. From this statistic, it appears that Coach Guardiola is no longer stubborn. After a series of winless games, he made significant adjustments to the tactics.
During the game, Savigno, who joined Manchester City this summer, scored his first goal after joining the club. He later assisted Haaland in scoring, making him the best player in this match. Additionally, James McAtee, a substitute player for Manchester City, also stood out with his performance after coming on the field. Not only did Coach Guardiola change the tactics in this game, but he also gave McAtee, who rarely played before, an opportunity.
McAtee came on as a substitute in the 66th minute and subsequently created Manchester City's second goal. He completed a skillful dribble on the right flank, known as "fried dumplings," impressively evading defenders. He then stopped abruptly with the ball, passed it to a teammate in the center, and Manchester City combined their flanks and center effectively. Finally, Savigno provided the cross to assist Haaland's goal. McAtee also had a shot from cutting inside during the game, which narrowly missed the target. After coming on the field, McAtee was very active, changing the situation on the pitch and making Manchester City's offense more threatening. When discussing McAtee after the game, Coach Guardiola stated that McAtee is an excellent player and an incredible talent. He mentioned former Manchester City players like Lavia, Palmer, Rodgers, and Bellis, among whom McAtee served as captain.
Coach Guardiola also expressed that McAtee is a fantastic person who trains hard. He admitted that perhaps he was wrong for not allowing McAtee to play earlier. McAtee is the number 10 player and captain of the England U21 team. His playing style is quite similar to Palmer's, and he is also a left-footed player who can both pass and shoot with exquisite footwork and imagination. After Palmer left Manchester City, he became a key player for Chelsea. Manchester City should retain McAtee and focus on cultivating him, which would be equivalent to a significant transfer acquisition.