"How Pep Guardiola’s 'Spider Web' Strategy Left Liverpool Confounded and Revived Man City's Title Hopes"

Published on November 10, 2025 at 10:27 PM
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MANCHESTER CITY got the better of old rivals Liverpool with a dominant 3-0 win at the Etihad on Sunday.

broke the deadlock in the 29th minute – shortly after missing a penalty.

Manchester City v Liverpool - Premier LeagueMan City cruised past Liverpool on SundayCredit: Getty

made it two on the brink of half-time before sealed the victory with a stunning strike.

were the better team throughout – and it was all thanks to Pep Guardiola and his decision to go back to the ‘basics’ at times.

On our hit YouTube show Tactics Exposed, in association with Betfair, our in-house tactics man reveals why some key moves from the Spaniard made all the difference.

Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn 2 - all the info

TIME for round two of this generation's family feud!

and go punch-for-punch once again as both rivals look to make their fathers proud.

The blockbuster rematch takes place at the 62,000-seater Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, November 15.

Eubank Jr narrowly outpointed his bitter foe after 12 brutal rounds in April to secure the bragging rights in what was certainly a

And the two British superstars will dance once more as Eubank Jr aims to do the double while after suffering a first career loss.

WATCH EUBANK JR VS BENN 2 ONLY ON DAZN

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WHAT’S UP, DOK

Guardiola has used Doku slightly differently this season.

Against on Sunday, Doku was roaming more and coming inside from the touchline.

He had plenty of joy picking up the ball from inside, giving a conundrum to and in the centre of midfield.

When the winger then scored his goal, he received the ball from – who had taken his space out wide on the left – before firing his shot into the top-right corner.

Man City were also helped by the lack of defensive contribution from on that side, who did not cover the space, which left to deal with both Doku and O’Reilly.

Manchester City v Liverpool - Premier LeagueJeremy Doku has taken up a slightly different role this seasonCredit: Getty Illustration of two soccer teams, Liverpool in red and Manchester City in light blue, arranged in a tactical graphic on a green soccer field.The winger now moves inside rather than hugging the touchline

BERN, BABY, BERN

City played in a 4-3-2-1 out of possession, which meant that was the flexible player.

They also played in the shape of a spiders web with Haaland in the epicentre.

Whenever the striker got the ball, three Liverpool players would surround him, which then led to at least four more City players coming in.

Those players would then ‘spring the web’ from there by playing out wide and exploiting the space.

Illustration of a tactical football graphic with red and light blue jerseys representing players and question marks over some positions.Bernardo Silva’s intelligence in midfield helps City to create a ‘spider web’ press

HAAL TO PLAY FOR

Haaland now effectively walks players out of position.

When the ball goes out wide, he walks into the penalty area, which drags defenders with him.

That leaves plenty of space around the edge of the box, giving a City player a great opportunity to shoot.

His movement allowed Gonzalez to score the second goal of the night on the brink of half-time.

Man City are now working out more ways to play off Haaland – which is a huge threat to fellow title challengers.

LIFE O’REILLY

Guardiola is capitalising on the inverted full-back trend whereby the wide defenders drift into the centre of the pitch.

Now, O’Reilly simply plays down the lines out wide – as does on the right.

It gives both players plenty of space to move up the pitch and cause a threat.

Collage of soccer player Nico O'Reilly of Manchester City and a soccer field with his 63 touches marked on it, in a match where Manchester City beat Liverpool 3-0.Nico O’Reilly had plenty of joy down the left side for City

THE DON

is just keeping it simple.

He is not , he is not trying to be Ederson.

Donnarumma is a goalkeeper that will make match-winning saves.

The rest of the time, there are 10 other players to focus on the outfield football, so he is not focussed too much on playing out from the back.

If the opposition press, he can send a long ball over the top to Haaland. If they don’t, he can just play it simple and short to or in defence.

Manchester City v Liverpool - Premier LeagueGianluigi Donnarumma continues to impress for CityCredit: Getty

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