Roberto Mancini made the surprise decision of fielding his new hit man Edin Dzeko from the start at Eastlands against Mick McCarthy‘s Wolves on Saturday, despite the Bosnian not having participated in a competitive game since mid-December.
The Man City boss also lined City up in his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation and Fantasy Managers far and wide must have feared the worse when Carlos Tevez was moved from the lone front man role that has served him so well to out left, in order to accommodate Dzeko.
As the game developed, however, it became clear that Dzeko’s strength and stature not only gives City a more physical focal point up front, it also affords Tevez a freedom he has barely found all season. The result? Tevez, having scored one goal in his last six games at Eastlands, netted a double and was awarded the three Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Bonus Points.
A look at City’s last two home games shows a marked difference in how Tevez and Dzeko interpret the lone forward role within the City system and suggests that despite the initial reservations of Fantasy Managers, Tevez could be even more of a danger in the second half of the season, with Dzeko already showing a willingness and intelligence that the likes of Jo, Emmanuel Adebayor and Roque Santa Cruz failed to demonstrate.
Tevez v Blackpool
As the heat map against Blackpool shows, Tevez was fairly static in his movement, playing 73% of all passes in the final third of the pitch. He made 26 passes that day but barely a single one was played in his own half as he stayed high up the pitch, which makes him easier to contain for opposition defences. Mancini’s side have been somewhat predictable at Eastlands this season; eight times they have scored just one goal or failed to find the net at all at home. Intriguingly, the only other time they have scored four at home was in game week 20, where an injury to Tevez allowed Mario Balotelli to play the lone striker role and subsequently bag a hat-trick.
The Average Position map also backs this up; Tevez (32) is isolated up top, with Yaya Toure (42) and David Silva (21) a substantial distance behind him. City’s shape doesn’t seem particularly cohesive in this instance, with less fluidity and threat to their play the closer they get to the opposition goal.
Dzeko v Wolves
The Bosnian showed a real understanding of the target man role that showed just why he was so sought-after throughout Europe, with a performance that already suggests he’ll be a fundamental factor in City’s bid for goals and glory as the season unfolds.
This heat map from the Wolves game sums up just how differently Dzeko works the lone front man role. He made 32 passes, with 31% in his own half, as his mobility proved difficult for the Wolves defence to keep him under control. He dropped back to link with the Man City midfield time and again -which culminated in his assist for Yaya Toure‘s goal- thus freeing up the space for Tevez to take advantage of.
Dzeko made just 49% of his passes in the final third, a substantial difference when compared to Tevez above. With a physique seemingly tailor-made for the Premier League, Dzeko already looks like being of great benefit to the team overall.
A look at this Average Position map above shows how, despite the player’s respective positions in the City starting XI, Tevez was positioned just as central and as far forward as Dzeko (10) against Wolves. This, in turn, allowed Yaya Toure to be nearer the forward line, and it showed in a performance that saw the Ivorian grab a goal and 2 FPL Bonus Points for his performance.
Post-match, Dzeko warned there’s plenty more to come as he comes to terms with the English top division:
“The game is different. It is harder than Germany. It is probably going to take me a few games to find my feet, but I am very happy to be here and if we keep winning there will be no problem.
Tevez v Wolves
Tevez showed on Saturday just how much the freer role suits his style; as this Heat Map shows, he floated all over the pitch without restriction; dropping deep and roaming forward, moving central and appearing on the right, thus making a mockery of his left wing starting berth. Tevez also saw far more of the ball, making 44 passes, a huge jump in comparison to his Blackpool performance.
Indeed, Tevez saw more touches of the ball, made more passes and had more successful dribbles than any other forward last weekend. Add his two goals to the mix and the knock-on impact of Dzeko already bodes well for all the Argentine’s Fantasy Owners as the season, and the title race, starts to heat up.
Mancini was also thoroughly impressed by the debutant, saying after the match:
“He played very well for his first game, especially as he has only been with us a week and only recently returned from a winter break.He will get better as he gets used to his new team-mates and I think he will do well alongside Carlos and Mario Balotelli.”
The strength in depth of City’s squad will no doubt see changes in playing personnel over the next few games, but judging by their play going forward on Saturday, Mancini’s formation certainly seems to be one issue that requires little need to change, in light of Dzeko’s acquisition.
