Bernardo Silva stated it succinctly. “You can’t limit him or he’ll lose his magic,” the Manchester City midfielder remarked of teammate Jeremy Doku following another fantastic performance from the Belgian winger.

Doku was the best attacking talent on exhibit at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, with his compulsion to dribble ensuring Liverpool’s defense never had a moment’s quiet.

It may be an exaggeration to say Doku has a free position in this City team, but the leeway he has been given is a deliberate element of Pep Guardiola’s newest tactic to keep one step ahead of the competition as he seeks a fourth consecutive Premier League title and a sixth in seven seasons.

Liverpool were not the first team to struggle to contain City, even if they were the first to end City’s incredible 100 percent home record in 2023 with a point that felt a little fortunate but was good for the championship fight.

Guardiola has strived to continuously adapt his City teams, and he has tweaked his set-up once again this season to keep opponents guessing. If his first championship-winning team was made up of half-backs and flying wingers, by the time he won his third, false nines were the rule of the day.

Last season saw the entrance of an out-and-out No. 9 in Erling Haaland, a switch to a double midfield center, and the employment of wingers, especially Jack Grealish and Bernardo, mostly as control players in a 3-2-4-1 configuration.

When in possession, Guardiola’s use of Doku and Phil Foden on the flanks, combined with Julian Alvarez in an offensive midfield role behind Haaland in the absence of the injured Kevin De Bruyne, has added a new dimension to City’s attack.

City are already averaging about 6% less possession per game than they were two seasons ago when they were still using a false nine, and while Guardiola will never renounce his need for control, this could be his most direct, transitional City squad yet. It’s not death by a thousand cuts anymore, and they’re probably more entertaining for it. Manuel Nunes, another ball handler who must be more patient than Doku, was also added in the summer, indicating a strategic adjustment.

“Definitely,” Bernardo replied when asked if Doku had offered City anything different. “Last season, I mostly played on the right and Jack on the left. We are less direct and more controlled. When players change, so does the way the team is organized. There are numerous alternatives available based on the game and what the management want.

“It gives you more one-on-ones and counter-attacks, but you also lose some control of the game, so it’s not always good.” But the team as a whole is doing fantastic.”

Bernardo may have been alluding to a fortnight ago, when City conceded four times in a chaotic 4-4 tie at Chelsea, prompting Guardiola to remove Doku after an hour and replace him with Grealish in an attempt to restore order.

Guardiola was without Grealish for the Liverpool game due to illness, but the control the England player brings was not required against Jurgen Klopp’s men as Doku posed relentless questions.