The formation yesterday was a try out for Wednesday
We played a hybrid of back three / four but with walker playing as a winger/right midfield
Can see the logic with Liverpool’s main threat coming down there right, it make sense to play a more defensive option there and keep tight to Salah , a bit like Young did with him for the rags
We also brought sterling in closer to the middle rather than out wide , meaning we were playing with two central forwards. This was as a result of walkers position.
De Bruyne also dropped into that right sided channel and he was the man starting most of the build up , him and Fernandinho were always open for a pass, pep has learnt from the Anfield game where pressure was put on Fernandinho and he was exposed
I would expect the exact same team on Wednesday as yesterday
...while David would usually operate on the left, connecting with Leroy, both of them supported by Laporte behind them. Plus Kevin would also be the man moving forward according to the play (the 2nd goal, for example), Ferna's positional awareness and discipline being the factor keeping the balances in midfield.
The team has reached an unbelievable level of chemistry and maturity. Players changing positions all the time, moving between the lines, moving in space, connecting blind between each other. Everybody is familiar with everybody's moves, everybody covers his teammate, and the way the team shapes during the match reminds me of Guardiola's final successive season at Barcelona: like no standard formation, players acting / positioning themselves in harmony and according to the demands of the actual play taking place in front of them. Ok we're not exactly there yet, still the progress is amazing...
We should not forget this was the first game after an international break during which the time spent on the training ground was extremely limited. Nevertheless the response of the team was fantastic -without even trying too hard. There were occasions when Everton were literally struggling to get the ball out of their box, just to fucking breath for a second, only to watch even our CBs participating in the attack. I mean Laporte himself entered their box and had a shot at Pickford...
The only way Liverpool can have a chance? Klopp totally removing the pressure from his players. They're not idiots, they know City are better. Of course they will try to apply all the psychological and physical bullying they can (they've shaped their modern identity around this thing, and they're proud of it...), of course they will rely heavily on the atmosphere created by the crowd. So what? City have nothing to fear. I said it numerous times, it's time to prove that this ridiculous thing called "the Anfield factor" (Guardiola himself mentioned after losing there 4-3 this season) doesn't work anymore. It would be hugely disapointing otherwise...
