Omar Marmoush ignored Pep Guardiola advice and it almost cost Man City dear in Champions League chase
Manchester City left it late to beat Everton at Goodison Park with Pep Guardiola's frustration at his forwards clear.
Pep Guardiola said he hopes Everton's new stadium will be more 'comfortable' than Goodison Park. Manchester City's attackers made it all too comfortable for their hosts and needed a teenage full-back and substitute midfielder to bail them out.
With three imposing centre-backs, Everton dealt with Omar Marmoush like he wasn't there. For most of the contest, he wasn't, and City sorely lacked Erling Haaland on Saturday. Nico O'Reilly got back-to-back goals to remind everyone he is a number ten by trade before Mateo Kovacic sealed the win.
It feels too easy to say Haaland's physical presence would have been better against James Tarkowski, Jarrad Branthwaite and Jake O'Brien. Of course it would - he's the Premier League's best striker and loves a battle - and City cannot wonder about what might be given Haaland is unavailable.
Marmoush has proven to be a fine alternative in his early City career and is a proven goalscorer. He will continue to score a lot of goals but this wasn't a game or venue suited to his style. He almost certainly wouldn't have played if everyone was available, but it's also worth recognising that the tactics to ask him to play in front of his six-foot minders with his back to goal felt like it was a direct contrast to the goals he has scored so far.
Put him on the shoulder of the slower Tarkowski and give him balls to chase and he may have had a different afternoon - he almost scored the one time that happened. Pep Guardiola, though, chose his old guard midfield again and that is one of control and caution rather than risk and reward. Marmoush was swallowed in a system that he didn't suit and a stadium that made the pitch feel tiny.
On one occasion, when he was given a rare opportunity to break, Marmoush was simply too slow and was caught unawares from behind by the chasing midfielder. Guardiola threw his hands up in frustration on the sidelines as Marmoush had three maroon shirts to look for had he been more urgent.
In the second half, Guardiola asked his side to speed things up. They tried, but Marmoush and Savinho were too often receiving the ball in midfield rather than with space in front.
When Marmoush did get goalside of substitute Michael Keane he found himself one-on-one with Jordan Pickford but could only poke the bouncing ball against the goalkeeper leaving Guardiola with his head in his hands. City would go on to score from the second phase of that corner, showing the value of running against the defence. Kovacic reinforced that a few minutes later.
Before the game, Guardiola had stopped Marmoush for an impromptu coaching session as the Egyptian jogged out to warm up. Guardiola was chatting on the pitch and interrupted that to demonstrate what he wanted from his number seven - positioning himself as if he was a defender, akin to the clips we see of Guardiola issuing advice on the training pitch.
Marmoush was rarely close enough to the big back three to take it on board. Guardiola may have to return to the training pitch to devise a plan to cope without Haaland in these tight, physical games as his two makeshift full-backs bailed him out.
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