Foden has opened the finest position without Haaland

Phil Foden has now progressively moved into the middle, either from the wide areas or close to someone like Rico Lewis or Bernardo Silva as a number eight, following years of Manchester City supporters calling for him to be given a chance in the middle. Though injuries and suspensions have limited City’s midfield protection behind him, he has looked superb as a second number 10 coming in from the right.

At Luton Town, Foden was unquestionably number ten, supported by Mateo Kovacic and Rodri. When Haaland was out, Bernardo occasionally entered the game, pushing Julian Alvarez to the attack. Although the setback to the Norwegian will surely hurt City, it can also bring out the best in Foden and Alvarez. As shown by his involvement in City’s second goal, Foden also flourished on the turn in the area between midfield and attack, but the latter seemed to like the number nine position more.

He was the best attacker for City and created most of the chances for the Blues, often outpacing Alvarez into space. He cannot accomplish it with Haaland always resting on the defender’s shoulder. Although it could bring out the best in Foden, City will be hoping that Haaland’s injury is not as catastrophic as it looks.

Haaland’s absence is putting pressure on Alvarez

Alvarez looked as though he needed a long weekend at Aston Villa. He could not bridge the gap and could not provide for Haaland. Quite frankly, after his World Cup achievements and move from Argentina, he looked like the player who only took three weeks off in twenty-three months. He might have to miss a game or two, but City might need him more than ever right now.

It doesn’t seem likely that Haaland will recover quickly because of a “bone stress reaction” in his foot. At Luton, Alvarez began in his favorite offensive position, loving the chance to break through the defense. It appears that he will stay in that role as long as Haaland is not available. His assist for the winner was a welcome comeback on a promising afternoon.

He will undoubtedly have pressure to score goals in Haaland’s absence, but he will also have a chance to show Pep Guardiola why he was hired in the first place by leading the team in scoring. Any need for a break will be outweighed by the possibility that this is the opportunity he has been waiting for.

Following the Villa debacle, the midfield has significantly improved

Without Rodri, City had no midfield players, ceding the midfield to Aston Villa, who ultimately won. The bench was thin, and they gave up their sole strikers when Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes entered the game.

Both Jack Grealish and Rodri were back at Luton, while Kovacic replaced John Stones. With two defensively-minded players after him, Foden felt more free to attack as the number 10 for City, which had infinitely more control over the midfield. Bernardo in to assist.

Simply enough, it was more balanced, and City performed better as a result. They were much more capable of sustaining ball possession and offensive pressure, especially when Luton scored just before halftime. It was not surprising that the City performance that supporters have become accustomed to was provided by a starting lineup that was more experienced and included players in their natural positions. The triple winners, Bernardo and Grealish, scored goals when City needed them.

After his Arsenal fiasco and subsequent injury, Kovacic put on his best performance yet, helping Rodri and establishing connections with Foden and Alvarez. Guardiola predicted that Nunes and the Croatian international would be important players in the future, which made sense given Kovacic’s circumstances. Like most of his teammates, he looks better with Rodri by his side. City will be hoping Rodri stays out of trouble for a while longer.

Grealish rises to assume leadership

This has been an odd season for Grealish. In the middle of Jeremy Doku’s arrival, he’s trying to establish himself once more by positioning himself as the one in charge while Doku causes chaos. Doku may be favored by supporters and Guardiola as the more entertaining option, but Grealish may play more as the season goes on.

Grealish, who had served his punishment period, gave City the much-needed control they lacked against Aston Villa with Doku out once more. Although it wasn’t perfect, it managed to hold off Luton for extended periods of time.

Grealish will exert pressure and slow down assaults, while Doku might concede possession more frequently, giving the opponent more opportunities to counter or conserve. With City “struggling” and having lost their last four games, the game had all the makings of an upset, but Grealish provided some much-needed calm.

The Luton Town supporters jeered at him and angrily challenged each call that went against them, yelling “2-1 to the referee” during the second half. However, Grealish’s season-long second goal and composed play were what turned a 1-0 halftime deficit into a well-deserved victory.

The eclectic afternoon of Gvardiol

Josko Gvardiol was kept at left defender despite a lackluster showing against Aston Villa, as Nathan Ake made a comeback to the squad. Gvardiol kept his place at full back while Ake took Manu Akanj’s place as center back.

Gvardiol looked unimpressive when playing one-on-one as his opposite winger sought him once more. He had more license to attack in this game, and on an afternoon when he was attacking as much as defending, he produced some wonderful touches and driving runs.

But did he help? He appeared to be a center-back who was occasionally asked to play as a winger, got in Grealish’s way, and lacked composure at times. Guardiola was also faced with a foul throw-in, which is never nice, and Luton had plenty of space on his side to score.

As he gets used to his new position, Gvardiol will get better, and if he wants to, he clearly has a spot at City for the next ten years. Though it wasn’t a poor performance and he will recover, it’s telling that he was the first to depart when City tried to hold onto their lead.