{"id":1434116,"date":"2026-02-20T14:53:44","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T14:53:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?post_type=features&#038;p=1434116"},"modified":"2026-04-13T11:28:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T10:28:29","slug":"tactical-analysis-marc-guehi-transformed-man-city-defence","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-marc-guehi-transformed-man-city-defence\/","title":{"rendered":"Marc Guehi analysis: How centre-back has adapted seamlessly to Pep Guardiola&#8217;s defence"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/manchester-city\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Manchester City<\/a> secured the signature of Marc Guehi from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/crystal-palace\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Crystal Palace<\/a> during the January transfer window. And it could go down as one of their best additions in recent history in terms of impact and value.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The England international is a more than competent defender, who is comfortable in possession. That&#8217;s a must in a Pep Guardiola side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Guehi has adapted seamlessly to Guardiola&#8217;s system at Man City. And it&#8217;s made even more impressive by the fact he&#8217;s had to switch from playing in a back three to a back four.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><h2>In this article, we&#8217;ll cover:<\/h2><ul><li><a href=\"#h-possession-reliance-increasing\" data-level=\"2\">Possession reliance increasing<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-defensive-exposure\" data-level=\"2\">Defensive exposure<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-how-has-guehi-improved-man-city\" data-level=\"2\">How has Guehi improved Man City?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-adaptability\" data-level=\"2\">Adaptability<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-possession-reliance-increasing\">Possession reliance increasing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Guehi has always been a player comfortable with the ball at his feet. But his reliance in possession has signficantly since his move to Man City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Englishman averaged 53.2 passes attempted per 90 minutes in the league at Crystal Palace, but that has jumped to 86.5 in his four games under Guardiola.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142415\/image5-1-1024x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1434125\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142415\/image5-1-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142415\/image5-1-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142415\/image5-1-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142415\/image5-1-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142415\/image5-1-1536x1536.png 1536w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142415\/image5-1-267x267.png 267w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142415\/image5-1-200x200.png 200w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142415\/image5-1-60x60.png 60w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142415\/image5-1-40x40.png 40w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142415\/image5-1.png 1620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As mentioned, Guehi has had to adapt to a different style. He&#8217;s tasked with getting the ball into the likes of Rodri, rarely bypassing the midfield as he would at Palace. Guardiola has trusted him with a primary role in his build-up, with Guehi having 14.91% of Man City\u2019s passes since his arrival, with only Rodri having a higher percentage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With Guehi involved, Man City have had 55.32% possession on average, compared to Palace&#8217;s 44.79% with him in the team. It&#8217;s a huge contrast that Guehi has been forced to deal with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An adaptation period would be expected when switching to such a different style. But Guehi has fitted in with ease when it comes to the in-possession demands of a Guardiola team.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/betting-sites\/stakemate-bet-10-get-20-in-free-bets\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Stakemate Offer<\/a>: Bet \u00a310, get \u00a320 in free bets<\/h2>\r\n<p><a href=\"\/en\/go\/stakemate?q=gb-all-all-wof-s-spo\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-1422508\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/06122108\/image-150-1024x489.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"489\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/06122108\/image-150-1024x489.png 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/06122108\/image-150-300x143.png 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/06122108\/image-150-768x367.png 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/06122108\/image-150-1536x733.png 1536w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/06122108\/image-150-400x191.png 400w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/06122108\/image-150-419x200.png 419w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/06122108\/image-150-126x60.png 126w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/06122108\/image-150-150x72.png 150w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/06122108\/image-150-40x19.png 40w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/06122108\/image-150.png 1986w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\r\n<p><strong>How to claim:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n<li>Go to Stakemate using <a href=\"\/en\/go\/stakemate?q=gb-all-all-wof-s-spo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>this link<\/strong><\/a>.<\/li>\r\n<li>Download the app and create your account<\/li>\r\n<li>Place your first bet of \u00a310 or more (minimum odds of 2\/1)<\/li>\r\n<li>Once settled, receive 4 x \u00a35 free bets - minimum 3 selections and 2\/1 odds on each bet.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<div class=\"sq-toplist\" data-bookmaker-id=\"1408906\" data-offer-id=\"1408908\">\r\n<div class=\"sq-toplist__items\">\r\n<div class=\"sq-toplist__item\">\r\n<div class=\"sq-toplist__item-tc\">\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>#AD 18+ New Customers Only. Place any \u00a310 bet to qualify, min 2.0 (1\/1) odds. Qualifying bet must settle, excluding cash outs. Bonus credited with 24hrs of settlement. 4 x \u00a35 free bets. Free bets min 3 selections and 3.0 odds. Returns exclude free bet stake. Expiry applies. Full T&amp;Cs apply.<\/em><\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-defensive-exposure\">Defensive exposure<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of course, when deployed in a Palace side who have less possession, Guehi spent more time with his side being out of possession. But the Eagles are usually in a settled block, sitting deeper looking to absorb pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At Man City, Guehi is more exposed to opposition transitions with his side enjoying more possession and pushing more bodies into the final third.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20143519\/Crystal-Palace-vs-Man-City-average-positions-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1434132\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20143519\/Crystal-Palace-vs-Man-City-average-positions-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20143519\/Crystal-Palace-vs-Man-City-average-positions-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20143519\/Crystal-Palace-vs-Man-City-average-positions-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20143519\/Crystal-Palace-vs-Man-City-average-positions-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20143519\/Crystal-Palace-vs-Man-City-average-positions-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20143519\/Crystal-Palace-vs-Man-City-average-positions-267x267.jpg 267w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20143519\/Crystal-Palace-vs-Man-City-average-positions-200x200.jpg 200w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20143519\/Crystal-Palace-vs-Man-City-average-positions-60x60.jpg 60w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20143519\/Crystal-Palace-vs-Man-City-average-positions-40x40.jpg 40w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20143519\/Crystal-Palace-vs-Man-City-average-positions.jpg 1620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At Palace, Guehi would be sat in a deep back three whenever Oliver Glasner&#8217;s side didn&#8217;t have the ball. When they were in possession and further up the pitch, Guhi would still have the luxury of being sat in a back three in their rest defence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At Man City, Guehi is more exposed. Guardiola pushes his full-backs up high and his No.8s get into advanced positions with two centre-backs sat behind Rodri. So it points back to it being a real shift from the style he&#8217;s used to playing in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-has-guehi-improved-man-city\">How has Guehi improved Man City?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Man City have actually improved offensively since Guehi arrived. The Citizens have averaged 2.08 goals per game across the season as a whole, but it&#8217;s 2.25 in the four games since Guehi arrived. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is perhaps due to Guardiola allowing his players to play with a little more freedom to get forward, knowing Guehi offers protection at the back. Man City have conceded 0.18 Expected Goals per game from fast breaks across the season. That&#8217;s halved to 0.09 in the games Guehi has played.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Guehi allows Man City to be comfortable in different game states. He has been involved in plenty of backs-to-the-walls fixtures during his time at Palace. It&#8217;s something the likes of Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, John Stones and Josko Gvardiol haven&#8217;t been exposed to very often in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If Man City do need to sit deep and defence their box &#8212; even if that&#8217;s a rare occasion in the Premier League &#8212; we could see Guehi benefit them even further. This could come in handy in the latter stages of the Champions League or late in the Premier League title race.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"820\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142405\/image2-3-820x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1434122\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142405\/image2-3-820x1024.png 820w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142405\/image2-3-240x300.png 240w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142405\/image2-3-768x960.png 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142405\/image2-3-1229x1536.png 1229w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142405\/image2-3-214x267.png 214w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142405\/image2-3-160x200.png 160w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142405\/image2-3-48x60.png 48w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142405\/image2-3-120x150.png 120w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142405\/image2-3-32x40.png 32w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142405\/image2-3.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When defending less than he has done previously, it would be easy for Guehi to lose concentration. It\u2019s something that impacts a lot of players, often goalkeepers, in possession-dominant sides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When constantly having to defend, your mind is laser-focused on keeping the ball out of the box or goal. But when you\u2019re predominantly only having to think about defending in transitional moments or in short, sharp bursts when the ball is turned over, it\u2019s a real psychological test to be ready for any moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-adaptability\">Adaptability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over the last few weeks, Guardiola has utilised natural full-backs, with Matheus Nunes and Rayan Ait-Nouri looking to hold the width. In Man City&#8217;s rest defence, Guehi is usually in a back two. But he&#8217;s capable of being utilised in different roles in and out of possession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142401\/image1-3-1024x768.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1434121\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142401\/image1-3-1024x768.png 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142401\/image1-3-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142401\/image1-3-768x576.png 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142401\/image1-3-1536x1152.png 1536w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142401\/image1-3-356x267.png 356w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142401\/image1-3-267x200.png 267w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142401\/image1-3-80x60.png 80w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142401\/image1-3-150x113.png 150w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142401\/image1-3-40x30.png 40w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142401\/image1-3.png 1760w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/tacticalista.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Image via TACTICALista<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142408\/image3-4-1024x768.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1434123\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142408\/image3-4-1024x768.png 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142408\/image3-4-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142408\/image3-4-768x576.png 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142408\/image3-4-1536x1152.png 1536w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142408\/image3-4-356x267.png 356w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142408\/image3-4-267x200.png 267w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142408\/image3-4-80x60.png 80w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142408\/image3-4-150x113.png 150w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142408\/image3-4-40x30.png 40w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/20142408\/image3-4.png 1760w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/tacticalista.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Image via TACTICALista<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Guardiola has been known to use inverted full-backs at times during his managerial career. In this current Man City setup, it could work with Guehi in multiple ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Englishman is capable of playing in the centre of a back three if the right-back inverts. If the left-back inverts, Guehi can move as the left-sided centre-back. It would resemble Palace&#8217;s defensive setup, and the role Guehi played in it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Guehi\u2019s versatility gives Guardiola plenty of options in terms of setting up his defensive structure. Although we haven&#8217;t seen the Man City boss tinker too much of late, there&#8217;s no doubt we&#8217;ll be seeing some changes before the end of the season.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3><strong>Read more:<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/football-tips\/premier-league\/\"><strong>Premier League predictions &amp; tips<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/outright-markets\/premier-league-title-odds\/\"><strong>Premier League outright odds <\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/\"><strong>Latest football news<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/betting-sites\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Best betting sites<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/betting-sites\/best-free-bet-offers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Best free bet offers<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/football-tips\/accumulator\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Football accumulator tips<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Manchester City secured the signature of Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace during the January transfer window. And it could go down as one of their best additions in recent history in terms of impact and value. The England international is a more than competent defender, who is comfortable in possession. That&#8217;s a must in a&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3582,"featured_media":1434135,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Marc Guehi has been thriving since joining Man City from Crystal Palace. And his adaptability could be key for Pep Guardiola this season.","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"features-category":[],"squawka-category":[],"class_list":["post-1434116","features","type-features","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"external_featured_image_url":"","hide_featured_image_pattern":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.0 (Yoast SEO v28.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Marc Guehi analysis: How centre-back has adapted seamlessly to Pep Guardiola&#039;s defence | Squawka | EN<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Marc Guehi has been thriving since joining Man City from Crystal Palace. 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