Manchester City Fan View: Pep Guardiola's side dispelling the myth that attractive football must be fast

Manchester City continued their unbeaten start to the new season at the weekend, with a comfortable and resounding 6-0 win over Watford on their own turf at Vicarage Road. That victory means that the Blues have now won their last four games in all competitions, with three clean sheets.

Playing some of their best ever football is no coincidence, given they are plying their trade under one of the best ever football coaches. But, despite the recent resounding wins – they scored 15 goals and conceded none in three games alone last week – the performances have not been as incredibly fast paced as one might have expected.

A marked increase in ruthlessness in front of the opposition goal and solidarity in front of their own has left City supporters and neutral fans alike purring. It seems as if Guardiola has finally got this City side set up the way he wants, with the Spaniard often referring to the “quality of the players” and the necessity to have top class talents in order for him to coach and guide.

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For all the early success that the Citizens have achieved so far this season, I believe that one of the most significant things that this City team has achieved is that they are beginning to dispel the age-old cliché that “attacking, attractive football” must also naturally be “fast” as well.

Given the constant media rhetoric of manager’s implementing “fast, attacking, attractive” football into the ethos of Premier League clubs, I would say many inherently and unconsciously associate the much bandied around phrase of “attacking, attractive football” with out-and-out, sheer pace, classic flying wingers and so on.

Of course, City invested in a youthful crop of stars to reinvigorate their squad over the summer – players who naturally bring bundles of pace into the team given their age and positions; the likes of Kyle Walker, Benjamin Mendy and Bernardo Silva added to the existing speed provided by Leroy Sane, Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus, Sergio Aguero and co.

However this season especially, City have slowed things down at their own tempo in order to truly control matches. John Stones, Fernandinho, De Bruyne and David Silva have been at the absolute core of City’s success so far this season, yet none particularly possess a plethora of pace.

Guardiola’s men have the potential to hit almost any team on the counter with real pace and to capitalise. The key aspect, though, is that they have the luxury of choosing just when to utilise that capacity.

Especially when leading, the Etihad outfit have slowed games down, dominated possession, and then go onto to mount attacks from a position of comfort.

This has enabled them to regain their stamina, retain the ball, prevent chances conceded, tire the opposition and then go on to surprise them with a sudden burst of energy – both catching them off guard and exploiting their legs tired by City’s often hypnotising passing.

Many too have claimed that City’s midfield is “unbalanced”, with De Bruyne and either Silva in a central three. Despite their naive beliefs, however, they are the exact players that actually enable City to dictate and dominate games. The additional width and pace this season has served to give two of the world’s best dictators of play even more space in which to wreck havoc on the opposition.