14 | Nico Gonzalez - 2025/26

[King Jay]

Very very good.

Feel so sorry for him that Rodri’s at our club. Anywhere else in the world, he’s undoubtedly first choice. He’s special.

Don’t wanna be that guy but I heavily döubt that. He is good and solid but there are better DM’s out there.

 

[Rhapsody in Blue]

Very impressed by him today. Gave us a good balance when Rudolph went forward.

 

[Victorinodennistua]

Hahaha hes as far from hard as you can get ;) great player and loved him today but has the pain threshold of a toddler.

He’s our poor stuntman. Could end up buying fouls like grealish though.

 

[ninjamonkey]

I've said it a few times elsewhere but has to be said once more, wolves were fucking shit and I could have bossed their midfield, however, that was the most comfortable he's looked in a blue shirt by a wide margin.

Much more in tune with where he should be for breaking things down and bernardo was excellent in making sure he was where he should be for the most part and covering him when he wasnt. Still needs to sharpen up on the ball but massive leap for him, much bigger tests immediately ahead so let's hope he takes that and builds upon it.

 

[samuelyeboah]

More performances like that and we are in for a classic second season player under pep season

 

[nickamon]

He’s our poor stuntman. Could end up buying fouls like grealish though.

Nah, never seen a player who played for us drop to the ground at the slightest touch like Grealish, it became almost predictable and for me was extremely annoying.

 

[BringBackSwales]

Was really impressed with him today, him in defensive mid allowed Reijnders to be box to box, and suggests we can take our time easing Rodri back

 

[KDBPLGOAT]

Nah, never seen a player who played for us drop to the ground at the slightest touch like Grealish, it became almost predictable and for me was extremely annoying.

credit to him Jack did win us a lot of free kicks but I don’t think he ever realised we aren’t Villa or Arsenal, we’re Man City, free kicks do nothing for us, we don’t score from set pieces, we barely even use them to create a chance

 

[.db.]

Played well. A bit erratic at times but only now and again (but he hasn’t played a great deal of football in the last 8 months), mostly very controlled.

A perfect understudy to Rodri.

 

[doobyedoobye]

He's going to get a run of games now that's for sure

 

[Scoobz3]

68/74 passes completed (92%)
9/10 ground duels won (90%)
1/2 aerial duels won
3/3 dribbles completed

His duel success was important. While Reijnders was brilliant in the final 3rd, he lost a lot of duels. Nico was the perfect base.

Nice to see some logical analysis and how players need to complement each other - its about having the correct attributes across the whole of the team. If he performs like that against the "better" teams or anything remotely like it then he will more than do

 

[Ajm1985]

Can’t think any of Peps DMs have been known for ‘quaterback passes’. It isn’t what Pep,wants from his 6s.

Rodri definitely does them - his spreading the ball quickly & aerially to a winger or to a fullback was sorely missed last season. It usually gives the wingers a 1v1 and none of the other midfielders covering at DM have shown as great an aptitude for it, yet.

 

[blueparrot]

Rodri definitely does them - his spreading the ball quickly & aerially to a winger or to a fullback was sorely missed last season. It usually gives the wingers a 1v1 and none of the other midfielders covering at DM have shown as great an aptitude for it, yet.

Yes din’t mean he or, Rodri doesn’t do them ,more it isn’t what they are known for and if you listed the most important qualities in a Pep 6 those longer balls from the back up to the wingers aren’t in the top 3 or 4 skills he looks for.

 

[jaiguruKun]

He has a bit of everything and his physicality stops us being bullied as we were a few times last season.

 

[johnny crossan]

Rodri, Reijnders
Foden

Kovacic, Gonzalez
Bernardo

Not bad midfield options at all.

Think Kova could be being fattened for Saudi.

 

[alexmcity]

Arguably, No 6 is the most difficult role in a Pep system. It requires both defensive and offensive (playmaking) skills plus high footballing intelligence. Naturally, it takes time to learn. Nico is no different.

Note, however, that Pep started him both in the final game of last season and the first game of this season. His treatment of Nico in the CWC seemed to imply he wasn't happy with him, but those starts in the PL suggest otherwise.

 

[Stato]

Arguably, No 6 is the most difficult role in a Pep system.

He is also well aware of how to play the role and what is required too having been one himself

 

[TFC]

Do we know the shoulder is ok? Quietly excellent yesterday.

 

[Sebi]

A Spanish midfielder played a crucial role for Manchester City in their win over Wolves

Diese News auf OneFootball lesen.

onefootball.com

 

[blueparrot]

Arguably, No 6 is the most difficult role in a Pep system. It requires both defensive and offensive (playmaking) skills plus high footballing intelligence. Naturally, it takes time to learn. Nico is no different.

Note, however, that Pep started him both in the final game of last season and the first game of this season. His treatment of Nico in the CWC seemed to imply he wasn't happy with him, but those starts in the PL suggest otherwise.

It also requires a lot of work on positioning,only need to read the Pep Revelution book to see how hard they had to work on Rodri with it.I presume ove the last 6 months they have done a lot of work on the training ground with Gonzalez on exactly the same things.