Why Manu Akanji started over Aymeric Laporte for Man City vs Arsenal
Pep Guardiola said that Manchester City's game with Bayern Munich convinced him that Manu Akanji was the best option to go up against Bukayo Saka.
Guardiola needed another plan to deal with the Arsenal dangerman after Nathan Ake, who had shackled Saka so well in the FA Cup game here in January, came off in Munich with a hamstring injury. Aymeric Laporte was the most obvious replacement for Ake, but the City boss sprung a surprise on Wednesday night by opting to play Akanji out of position at left-back.
Despite knowing that Laporte would be the best option to push City forward, Guardiola was impressed by how Akanji fared up against the speedy Bayern wingers. That ability in one-on-ones was enough to earn the former Dortmund star a place in the defence and he repaid the faith with another terrific performance.
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"I had a lot of doubts because that position is for Aymer. He is our best player in the build-up by far, he has an incredible ability to read," said Guardiola.
"But after seeing Manu against Kingsley Coman, Leroy [Sane] and [Jamal] Musiala, how he won the duels one on one, he was amazing and I thought with Saka and [Gabriel] Martinelli it was so important with him and Kyle [Walker] being so aggressive with them.
"When I saw the game vs Bayern, I said Manu can do it. He’s so intelligent, clever, and he controlled one of the incredible threats that all the season in Saka.
"He made a great effort to play a position he is not used to. he is normally a central defender but has played right-back and now left-back.
"He is so nice. When you are so nice, always you play good."
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