Generally, City under Guardiola have prioritised ball possession and slower passages of play to maintain control and energy while reducing the number of turnovers and chances conceded.
Though this is still a priority, this season we have seen City lean into attacking in transition with more pace.
Guardiola has played on the strengths of players like Haaland, Foden, Reijnders and O’Reilly by attacking quickly over long distances.
As a result, City have scored from more fast breaks this season than during the 23-24 and 24-25 seasons combined. Their 27 total fast breaks is more than any other side in the Premier League this season too.
This is partly because of the skillset of their players but it is likely in response to the rise in intense man-to-man pressing.
By playing long and direct, opposition pressure can be bypassed and the space that opens up high up the pitch can be taken advantage of.
The introduction of Cherki to the side has brought about a level of passing and creativity from deep that helps City play over this pressure for attackers running in behind, a trait they missed following Kevin de Bruyne’s departure.
