A bargain for Man City
Already in his first season in England for Man City, Julian Alvarez has proven capable and can be used alternately with Erling Haaland in the final stages of the season.
There is no longer a picture of Erling Haaland in the Man City squad when he met Liverpool in the 29th round of the Premier League on April 1. The Norwegian striker stopped playing because he had not yet recovered from a groin injury. But at the Etihad, the former Dortmund star still enjoyed the joy of victory when sitting in the stands watching teammate Alvarez score. The Argentine striker scored the equalizer in the 27th minute, setting the stage for Man City’s comeback.
Ideal replacement
Pep has prepared well for the “no Haaland option” by using Alvarez effectively. In addition to the equalizer, Alvarez also created two chances to score for his teammates and accurately passed 83% to Liverpool. In this match, Alvarez was not “hammock” in the penalty area but operated widely, supporting the midfield trio of Jack Grealish, Kevin De Bruyne, or Riyad Mahrez to organize an attack.
Independent considers Alvarez better than Haaland in terms of connecting Man City’s gameplay. Fans of “The Cityzens” can see the contrast in the playing styles of the two. A small but skillful player like Alvarez will coordinate and move widely, creating a premise for teammates to p/e/n/e/t/r/a/t/e the penalty area. This is different from Haaland, who often chooses the most favorable position, using his physique (1.94 m tall) to put pressure on defenders and score goals.
“Alvarez is probably the best reserve striker in the world right now,” wrote the Independent. Compared to the influence and scoring statistics, Alvarez lost to Haaland. But the Argentine striker knows how to take advantage of the opportunity when he is given a starting k/i/c/k. In 16 appearances from the start, the Argentine striker scored 13 goals. The goal against Liverpool on April 1 was also Alvarez’s 5th goal against the teams in the “Big Six” group from the beginning of the 2022/23 season.
“When he has the ball, he shows smart moves. Alvarez participates in all the ball situations of the team. That’s why he was called up to the national team and won the World Cup 2022. next to Lionel Messi,” said Pep.
This is not Pep’s only use of Alvarez. In January, the Spaniard once planned to combine Haaland and Alvarez in a squad. “Julian can play striker with one more in case the opponent is too deep with a defense of five. He will play an important role in the future,” said the former Barca coach. However, this plan still has many vulnerabilities and has not been exploited well.
Good deal
Pep admits Man City made a bargain when signing Alvarez. The green half of Manchester only had to spend £ 14 million to recruit this 23-year-old striker in January 2022. Currently, Transfermarkt values the Argentine at 50 million euros (£44 million).
Man City leaders realized the importance of Alvarez and quickly kept the Argentine player by extending the contract for another year, ie until the 2027/28 season. The Times r/e/v/e/a/l/e/d that Alvarez received more than double his income in his new contract with the Etihad Stadium team (from 50,000 to 100,000 pounds per week).
Individual performance and the 2022 World Cup championship with Argentina changed Alvarez’s position. From an inexperienced player, the 23-year-old striker is gradually proving capable and can be used alternately with Haaland for the rest of the season.
Man City scored 17 goals in the last 3 matches against Leipzig, Burnley, and Liverpool. The way the Etihad Stadium team tore the opponent’s net gives hope to the home fans. In other words, coach Guardiola’s teachers and students are in an ideal form. These are important factors for Man City to compete for titles in the Premier League, Champions League, or FA Cup.