Manchester City face Arsenal in the Premier League’s biggest clash of the weekend that may well ultimately define the title race – WhoScored takes a look at the man for whom Pep Guardiola should make a change on Sunday
“I could not expect much more from Mateo this early,” Pep Guardiola said of Mateo Kovacic back in October.
The Croatian midfielder joined Manchester City from Chelsea over the summer in a move that had been a long time coming. As a replacement for Ilkay Gundogan, who left for Barcelona, Kovacic has provided the necessary thrust from deep for this City side.
Kovacic is able to break through opposition ranks on a whim and is incredibly difficult to shake off the ball when on song, noted in that he has been dispossessed just 16 times across his 20 appearances.
With Rodri operating as the safety net to treble chasing City outfit, Kovacic is able to push forward to help link the two banks of midfield for Guardiola’s side. The former Blues man does so to an extremely high standard.
While Kovacic won’t play the defence splitting passes in the same manner as Phil Foden, Kevin De Bruyne or Julian Alvarez, the City star provides the ammunition for the trio to wreak havoc in the final third. 84.2 passes per 90 ranks 10th of those to have made 15 or more Premier League appearances this season, while a 93.6% success rate is better than any midfielder, and fourth overall in the division.
Yet, with the decisive welcome of Arsenal creeping ever closer, there is an argument to be made that Kovacic hasn’t completely won the trust of Guardiola following his arrival.
This isn’t a surprise given players can take a year or so to get fully up to speed with the Spaniard’s sky-high demands but even after the praise thrown his way earlier in the season by Guardiola, only half of Kovacic’s 20 league appearances have come from the outset.
Furthermore, of the 10 league games he has started, just one has come against the division’s ‘Big Six’ – the 1-0 loss at Arsenal back in October.
That defeat came in one of the three matches Rodri missed earlier in the season due to a ban but even so; Guardiola has so often saved Kovacic for games against opponents that will often sit deeper, and thus relying upon the Croatia international’s drive to punch a hole in a low block, rather than those big top-of-the-table tussles.
However, there is an argument to be made that the welcome of Arsenal on Sunday is the ideal chance for Guardiola to U-turn and utilise Kovacic from the get-go.
Both City and Arsenal will compete for the higher share of the ball at the Etihad Stadium with the duo ranking first (65.3%) and third (61.9%), respectively, for possession in the Premier League this season as they vie for dominance in Manchester.
Should Arsenal be prepared to sit deeper and cede control for defensive resolve, then City would need a midfielder who is not only happy to keep play ticking over but able to get the team upfield when in possession. Few can combine both better than Kovacic, who while he struggled in the reverse fixture at the Emirates, he also didn’t have Rodri alongside him to help protect the backline.
As one of the most technically gifted midfielders in the division, he has a key role to play under Guardiola in this City side. He has forged a solid understanding with Rodri in the middle of the park when the pair have started together, and this is reflected in the impressive run of results when Guardiola has used both Kovacic and the Spain international from the start.
City have won all 14 competitive matches both Kovacic and Rodri have started together this season, that includes the penalty shootout success in the UEFA Super Cup last August, with the pair complementing one another perfectly.
The Gunners were fortunate enough to face City without Rodri back in October but the 27-year-old’s availability combined with Kovacic’s freedom to get forward will significantly boost the Cityzens’ chances of claiming a huge three points on Sunday.
With Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and Rodri, to name three, all coming in for praise from all quarters, Kovacic’s impact has fallen under the radar to outsiders.
But even if his time on the pitch has been limited, Kovacic has proven an important cog in this City machine.
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