Excellent article by Matt Dickinson, thanks for posting. MD could've added a couple of things to his review of the history of this kind of football we've been witnessing from City in recent years:
1 Jack Reynolds
Started at City with his brother in the late 1890s as a right-winger. Didn't play for the first team (had some Welsh herbert ahead of him, name of Meredith..!) and pursued a career in the lower divisions.
Eventually went into coaching, mainly in Holland between the wars, where he eventually developed the style of play which bloomed post-WWII into the 'Dutch School', further shaped by fellow Englishman Vic Buckingham (ex-Sheff Wed and Fulham), then Ernst Happel and Rinus Michels, managers of THAT Dutch squad of the 1970s.
Among many of the things espoused by Reynolds, his observation 'We ignore the wings at our peril' (ie 'stretch the play and space available') was one of the most important tactical set-ups that his followers took on board.
And, of course, everything that developed within that amazing Dutch squad was taken on board by Johann Cruyff, who went to Barcelona and Arigho Sacchi, who took it to AC Milan.
But initially it was all the brainchild of Jack Reynolds, who started at 'lickle' City and is to this day referred to as 'The Father of Dutch Football'!
2 Jonathan Wilson
His excellent, outstanding book, referred to above by MD, ends at the time when Sacchi's AC Milan's dominance had just concluded. Wilson describes how Sacchi mused on what might be coming next, how (or even if?) football might find ways to develop into the next iteration. Wilson's final chapter has him wondering, like Sacchi, if there actually could be new direction(s) for football to follow?
Of course, we now know that Guardiola's Barcelona was taking shape there and then, under the guidance of Cruyff behind the scenes.
And now City.. how blessed are we to see such wonders?!