5 THINGS GUARDIOLA HAS DONE TO TURN MAN CITY INTO DOMINANT FORCE.

5 THINGS GUARDIOLA HAS DONE TO TURN MAN CITY INTO DOMINANT FORCE. Thirteen points clear atop the Premier League and on unprecedented 17-game winning run, Manchester City have produced one of the most stupendous half-seasons in English football history. Chelsea in third place and finished the campaign 15 points off the pace. Pep Guardiola has done the turn of city from So-Rans Into World-Beats. 1. Finding The Right Goalkeeper the boldest move Guardiola made his time in the Etihad Stadium - ax long-serving goalkeeper Joe Hart - proved his least successful. Hart's replacement, Chile international Claudio Bravo, proved ill-suited to the unforgiving cut and thrust of the English game and his error-strewn displays cost City multiple points. guardiola took a punt in the close season, authorizing a Brazilian goalkeeper Edersonfrom Benfica, but it has been a masterstroke. the 23-year-old is a sturdy presence between the posts and, perhaps more importantly, its superb distribution has enhanced City's capacity to play out of the back. 2. Making An Ally Of Adversity Kyle Walker and Benjamin Mendy, Guardiola started testing out the systems in which he gave the full-backs. but when Mendy ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in a 5-0 win over Crystal Palace in late September, he had to change tack. Guardiola reclaimed his team by deploying Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane on their flank and the pair have responded with some scintillating performances. mendy's misfortune has opened the door to Fabian Delph, who has excelled in an unfamiliar left-back role. 3. Having Faith In His Methods In a prophetic remark from the end of last season, Guardiola said, "The team understands the ideas now and next season we want to go all out." his first season in england was a grueling experience as he finished a campaign for his first time in his managerial career. one-sided mid-season defeats Leicester City (4-2) and Everton (4-0) exposed City's shortcomings and Guardiola was mocked for saying he was "not a coach for the tackles". A less storied coach might have gone to the drawing board, but Guardiola responded by going further in the same direction. His conviction has been paid off spectacularly. Kevin De Bruyne has yielded some huge wins and staggering 56 league goals. 4. Improving Key Players john stones endured a difficult first season at City, but Guardiola stood by the elegant center-back, defending his right to take risks in possession and praising his courage on the ball. guardiola's faith has been rewarded this term as Stones has blossomed into one of the finest defenders in the premier league, winning in the tackle and authoritative in possession. nicolas otamendi, long derided for his propensity for going to ground too easily, has prospered alongside him, meaning Vincent Kompany's ongoing injury problems have not affected the team. sterling, meanwhile, is belatedly fulfilling his vast potential, his new-found effectiveness in front of goals making him City's top scorer with 15 goals. 5. Instilling Belief city's football over the season's first three months what jaw-dropping and when they lost momentum, the players' guards in Guardiola's methods allowed them to continue grinding out results. between late November and early December they eked out four scored in the 83rd minute or later. "The most important thing in this team is probably the belief in the dressing room," Sterling told the BBC recently. "The manager sets a plan for each game. He gives us the blueprint. Then you can see everyone else buying into it. Everyone is on board. "