A look at the main talking points from Manchester City’s first preseason friendly, which they won 5-3 against Yokohama F Marinos. This game was part of their tour of Japan.
Kovacic leaves pundits purring
The fact that Kovacic made runs beyond Julian Alvarez to get on the end of long passes over the top early on against Yokohama F Marinos, or tried to play the Argentine in, displayed what he can add to the City attack as he attempts to pick up some of the weight of replacing Ilkay Gundogan. Yokohama F Marinos was the team that City was playing against. Even though Manchester City’s first friendly with the new player had only lasted around 15 minutes, the club’s commentary crew had already seen enough of him to be impressed.
He was labelled on commentary as a shrewd signing and someone who has all the qualities to make it as a City player, one who seemed as though he had been playing in the team for much longer. A positive start for a player who will likely have very big shoes to fill in the No.8 roles this season.
Cancelo comes back to the party
While City were busy winning the Treble last season, Joao Cancelo was exiled to Munich after falling out with Guardiola to such an extent that he was shipped out on loan for the second half of the campaign. To make matters worse, when he met his parent club in the Champions League quarters, he was booed in Manchester and subjected to chants of ‘City reject’ in the return leg.
Cancelo has been given forty-five minutes to show everyone what he is capable of doing despite the fact that he is expected to make a temporary return to the group. Despite this, Cancelo has decided to join the tour. Erling Haaland scored the fifth goal by tapping in a wonderful ball across after there may have been a few too many attempts at a nutmeg for the first-team coaches to like. Erling Haaland scored the goal by tapping in the ball after there were possibly a few too many attempts at a nutmeg.
At the very least, it provides City with something to consider as they make preparations for the campaign.
Walker captains City after Bayern stunt
With Gundongan gone and Kevin De Bruyne and Ruben Dias not picked in the starting XI, it was only natural that Kyle Walker captained the team. It will not have been lost on anyone in Munich and beyond to see City come out fighting with their right-back.
Pep Guardiola really does not want to lose Walker despite Bayern’s interest and playing him as captain in the first pre-season friendly was an indication of that. It obviously doesn’t make up for not starting him in the Champions League final, yet it was still telling.
Bayern are City’s next opponents and a German journalist went viral after presenting a Bayern shirt with Harry Kane’s name on it in a Tottenham press conference, leaving manager Ange Postecoglou unimpressed as he attempts to hold onto the England striker. If that made attention for the German papers, you suspect there will have been some coverage of how City used Walker.
Phillips struggles
Kalvin Phillips is intent on making it at City but endured another difficult night wearing blue. Starting in the holding midfield role, Phillips struggled to keep the ball in the entire 45 minutes he was on the pitch and was culpable in both of the goals that the team conceded in that time; he could not react quickly enough for the first and collided with Walker after giving the ball away for the second.
It is only the first game of pre-season game and it was only one half of that, yet it was an opportunity to impress missed even if he did help City get on the scoresheet by charging down the goalkeeper.