2018/19 Community Shield: 3 tactics Maurizio Sarri could employ to defeat Manchester City

#2 Parking the bus

ICC Singapore - Chelsea FC

A highly unlikely proposition, given the predisposition of their manager, it is a tactic most EPL clubs employed last season to halt the bulldozing machine that was Manchester City, and one in which all failed woefully.

Most teams in the EPL were content last season to sit back and let Manchester City have all the possession, with their primary aim being to protect their post by defending in large droves. The most glaring example of this would be the first leg league fixture between Benitez's Newcastle and City where the Magpies unabashedly lunged the ball to the City half directly from kick-off in never-before-seen scenes in football, settling back into their defensive shape. The result: a tight 1-0 victory for City, which made it 18 consecutive victories in the EPL (mostly against teams that 'parked the bus').

Teams have however used this pattern to frustrate a Guardiola team, particularly Chelsea themselves in a memorable Champions League semi-final clash in 2012, where they defended resolutely against a vintage Barcelona team, en-route their unlikely UCL triumph.

Beyond the unsuitability of Sarri's tactics to employ this system, it also has a very low percentage for victory, as it essentially plays into City's hands, by allowing them all the space, time and possession in the build up, and as City showed last season, it is an extremely dangerous tactic to employ, and one Sarri would most definitely not be attempting.