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Manchester City Fan View: Must start Aymeric Laporte against Leicester City
Manchester City completed the signing of Aymeric Laporte from Athletic Bilbao last week for a club record 57 million. Just over 24 hours after completing his switch from Spain, Laporte was named in the starting eleven against West Bromwich Albion – a game that his new side comfortably won 3-0 – due to John Stones suffering with an illness and Vincent Kompany having just returned from another spell on the sidelines.
Many suggested that Laporte’s debut was perhaps less impressive than many had made out, with a seeming lack of defensive contributions needing to be made against a toothless Alan Pardew outfit.
Yet it was the Frenchman who, in his first start for the Blues and less than 36 hours after joining up with Guardiola’s men, was so central to the way in which City dominated that game. He did, also, make some important challenges and, crucially, demonstrated his maturity, experience and intelligence in the way in which he dealt with potentially dangerous balls into advanced areas.
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The Citizens may not truly epitomise the age old footballing cliche that ‘attack is the best form of defence’ in the same way that Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool do, but instead their philosophy is about controlling games and thus limiting opposition opportunities.
Against Burnley at the weekend, City had much of the ball, but failed to control the tie as they have done so often this season. At times at Turf Moor, skipper Kompany seemed vulnerable and off the pace – a mere shadow of his former imperious self. Guardiola, understandably, did not want to rush his new signings into the thick of things too quickly.
Yet, in the upcoming clash with Claude Puel’s in form Leicester City side this weekend, Guardiola really ought to start Laporte once more.
The centre back is experienced enough to be given his second start, having played over 200 senior club appearances at the age of just 23. But it is this youth, on the other hand, that contrasts him with Kompany, as he is full of energy and dynamism.
His additional pace will be invaluable against Leicester, who could field the likes of Jamie Vardy, Demarai Gray and former City star Kelechi Iheanacho. In addition, his composure on the ball – both in terms of ball carrying and ball playing, as witnessed in his debut and on many occasions for Athletic – will be vital as Guardiola looks to counter the inevitable press that Leicester will adopt and quickly exploit the space in behind their front line.
Laporte was acquired in January, as opposed to the summer, in order to allow him to adapt to City’s style before the World Cup commences and also due to the summer transfer window now closing before the next Premier League campaign kicks off.
Rival supporters and pundits alike spoke of a missed opportunity on Guardiola’s part at the weekend because he only named six substitutes on the bench. However, maybe the most missed opportunity was not giving Laporte another go after his impressive debut at the Etihad earlier in the week.
