How Cancelo became Guardiola’s latest successful full-back experiment

Steven Gerrard, James Milner, Cesc Fabregas, Aaron Ramsey and Kevin De Bruyne. Pep's all-rounders Player Team Season Successful Passes Tackles Chances Created Minutes Joao Cancelo Manchester City 2020/2021 64.3 2.1 2.1 1343 Arturo Vidal Bayern 2015/2016 80.7 3.5 2.1 2047 Thiago Bayern 2015/2016 76.6 3.7 2 1636 Bastian Schweinsteiger Bayern 2014/2015 76.5 2.1 2.1 1362 Dani Alves Barcelona 2010/2011 68.1 3.3 2.1 2901 Just like the earlier examples, these are creative and/or all-action midfielders, plus an extremely fit, creative right-back. Sterling, Gabriel Jesus and Ferran Torres are forwards focused on finishing moves in the final third; Kyle Walker, Benjamin Mendy, Fernandinho, Aymeric Laporte and Ruben Dias have a bit more of a defensive outlook; Mahrez, Foden and Silva are attacking players more involved in midfield areas; Cancelo, Gundogan, Rodri, Zinchenko and John Stones are at the heart of City’s work in possession. This table shows similar results: Cancelo is the City player involved in the most open play sequences per 90 minutes, meaning nobody is more a part of the team’s play than he is. Only two City players have made more recoveries per 90 minutes than Cancelo in the Premier League this season — Rodri and Fernandinho — and he is fourth for possession won in the final third, showing that he has been one of the team’s most effective counter-pressers in advanced areas.. ‘Hold on a minute, The Athletic.