Guéhi steps out of defence, Cherki takes over after the break: Manchester City win 4–1 at Selhurst Park, though it was only 1–0 for 54 minutes.
The numbers
| Manchester City | Crystal Palace | |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 72% | 28% |
| Shots | 18 | 9 |
| On target | 9 | 1 |
| xG | 2.21 | 0.66 |
| Corners | 6 | 2 |
| Pass accuracy | 92.8% | 81.1% |
Result the chances deserved: Manchester City 73% / 17% / Crystal Palace 10% (Poisson).
Starting line-ups
Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Donnarumma, Khusanov, Dias, Guéhi, Gvardiol, Anderson, O'Reilly, Foden, Cherki, Semenyo, Haaland.
Crystal Palace (3-4-2-1): Henderson, Canvot, Richards, Tomiyasu, Khalaili, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell, Pino, Nketiah, Strand Larsen.
Crystal Palace subs: Guessand (63'), Gozo & McNeil (68'), Disasi (74'), Mingueza (75'). Gozo's Premier League debut. Palace manager: Pierre Sage. Yellow card: Khalaili (74'). Fox Sports lists Palace in a 3-4-2-1; the exact places in their back five and behind the striker are our reading. Guéhi started at left centre-back (Yahoo, CityXtra), not in midfield as against AFC Bournemouth. Palace's goal is credited as a Donnarumma own goal by City, Sky Sports, NBC and Fox (101 Great Goals gives it to Pino); minutes differ by one in some reports (NBC: 57'; 101 Great Goals: 60' for Cherki's second).
Key moments, move by move
- Manchester City work the ball from the right across to the left, with Crystal Palace's back five shuffling over.
- Semenyo gets it on the left wing and has time to pick out the cross.
- Haaland climbs above Richards and loops his header back across goal and over Henderson.
- City win the ball in midfield and Foden drives at the Crystal Palace defence.
- He slips it to Cherki on the left side of the box.
- Cherki holds off two defenders and jinks his way into the area.
- A delicate left-footed finish goes into the bottom corner past Henderson.
- Anderson is booked for a foul about 25 yards out.
- Pino curls the free kick up and over the wall.
- It comes back off the woodwork and goes in off the back of Donnarumma.
- Three minutes later Cherki is found about 30 yards out with space in front of him.
- He drops a shoulder to open up a shooting angle.
- His strike takes a deflection off Richards and dips past Henderson.
- Guéhi intercepts a Crystal Palace pass in midfield.
- He feeds Foden, who carries the ball into the box.
- Foden lays it across to Haaland.
- Haaland finishes at the near post for his second.
Guéhi steps up from centre-back, Cherki shadows Wharton
- A centre-back who becomes a midfielder. A week after using Guéhi as a holding midfielder against AFC Bournemouth, Maresca started him at left centre-back, but he "pushed into midfield frequently" (CityXtra). He had 120 touches and 28 line-breaking passes, 17 into the final third, and Dias completed all 106 of his passes (NBC Sports).
- Cherki on Wharton. Out of possession Cherki's job was Crystal Palace's playmaker. Maresca said he "was in control of Wharton". Palace completed 236 passes all night to City's 731 (Sky Sports).
- Wide players, back-post runs. Semenyo's cross made the opener, and Foden missed twice at the back post (21', 28'). City had 35 touches in the Palace box to 14.
- The gap behind Anderson. When Palace got past the first midfield line they found room: Mitchell headed wide from Wharton's cross (35'), Strand Larsen headed wide unmarked and Nketiah dragged a shot wide after the break. Sky Sports counts three big chances missed by Palace to City's two.
Recreate it in FM26
Guéhi steps into midfield, Cherki shadows Wharton
| Pos | Player | In Possession | Out of Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Donnarumma | Ball-Playing Goalkeeper | Goalkeeper |
| RB | Khusanov | Full-Back | Full-Back |
| RCB | Dias | Ball-Playing Centre-Back | Covering Centre-Back |
| LCB | Guéhi | Advanced Centre-Back | Stopping Centre-Back |
| LB | Gvardiol | Full-Back | Full-Back |
| RDM | Anderson | Deep-Lying Playmaker | Defensive Midfielder |
| LDM | O'Reilly | Box-to-Box Playmaker | Pressing Defensive Midfielder |
| RW | Foden | Inside Forward | Tracking Winger |
| AM | Cherki | Free Role | Tracking Attacking Midfielder |
| LW | Semenyo | Winger | Winger |
| ST | Haaland | Poacher | Centre Forward |
Team instructions
In Possession
- Build-Up StrategyPlay Through Press
- Passing DirectnessShorter
- Attacking TransitionPatient Build-Up
- Attacking WidthWider
Out of Possession
- Line of EngagementHigh Press
- Trigger PressMore Often
- Defensive TransitionCounter-Press
The idea: Guéhi as an Advanced Centre-Back steps into midfield beside Anderson and O'Reilly, so Palace's front three can't cover every passer, while Semenyo and Foden hold the width for Haaland. Out of possession Cherki follows the opponent's playmaker. You need a centre-back who is comfortable receiving on the half-turn and a No. 10 willing to defend.
What FM26 can't copy: Cherki's man-marking job on Wharton needs an opposition instruction on top of this card, and FM26 won't reproduce two goals from low-xG shots.
Our reading of this match in FM26 terms, not an exported tactic file. Role names as in FM26.
What if? Replay it with a different plan
Our best alternative plan: Kovačić on at 60' not 75', Bouaddi on at 65' (for O'Reilly). Keep the shape and the press: they gave City 2.21 xG to 0.66. The only change is earlier protection behind the ball once it was 3–1, to shut the gap Palace kept finding behind Anderson. It moves Manchester City's win chance from 73% to 79% (xG 2.21–0.66 becomes 2.26–0.46). Try your own changes to formation, pressing, approach and substitutions.
The game-changer Manchester City needed
Mateo Kovačić
Crystal Palace's chances came when they got past Anderson and found the space in front of Dias and Guéhi. Kovačić is a press-resistant carrier who keeps the ball in tight areas and covers ground beside the holding midfielder. After 3–1 at 59', he was the obvious way to slow the game down.
Declan Rice
When Anderson was bypassed, City's defence was exposed and Palace missed three big chances. Rice covers that ground, wins the ball back after a press is beaten and is strong in the air at the back post, where Mitchell and Strand Larsen both had free headers.
What the analysts said
“Rayan was very, very good off the ball. He was in control of [Adam] Wharton.”Enzo Maresca
“My performance is so-so. In the first half, we didn't find the space, I played bad.”Rayan Cherki
“We need to trust the system and trust Enzo in what he wants us to do.”Erling Haaland
“When I made the substitutions, the energy of the team went down, and I'm a little bit angry with that.”Pierre Sage
“3-1 was really poor because we made a tactical mistake.”Pierre Sage
The 4–1 is fair, but for 54 minutes it was a 1–0 that Crystal Palace could have levelled.
Manchester City were clearly the better side: 72% possession, 18 shots to 9, 9 on target to 1 and 2.21 xG to 0.66 (Sky Sports). But the game was 1–0 until the 54th minute. Foden missed from close range at 21' and 28', and Mitchell headed wide from six yards at 35'. Sky counts three big chances missed by Palace, one more than City.
City's control came from their structure more than their finishing. Guéhi started at left centre-back and kept stepping into midfield, making 28 line-breaking passes. Dias completed all 106 of his. Cherki stayed with Wharton when Palace had the ball. With their playmaker covered, Palace managed 236 completed passes all night.
The game turned on two pieces of individual skill. Cherki's first was a dribble through a crowd and his second a deflected shot from 30 yards, neither a big chance. Sage blamed his substitutions for the drop in energy, but both goals came before his first change (Guessand at 63'). His other explanation, a "tactical mistake" for the 3–1, fits the evidence better.