Manchester City will welcome back Julian Alvarez as a World Cup winner for the rest of the Premier League season
Pep Guardiola has a problem that any Premier League manager would dream of having.
Manchester City’s squad depth has always been one of their biggest strengths, with the Blues boasting a mouth-watering array of talent in nearly every position. One of Guardiola’s main issues, since he took over at the Etihad Stadium, has been how he makes space for all of his stars.
This issue will never be more present when Julian Alvarez returns from Qatar following his World Cup victory with Argentina. The striker was sensational for Lionel Scaloni’s side as they went on to lift the trophy following a breathtaking final on Sunday afternoon.
ALSO READ: ‘Messi, don’t run – Man City ace Julian Alvarez praised for ‘brilliant’ World Cup campaign
In stark comparison, Erling Haaland has spent the month resting and recharging his batteries due to Norway’s absence from the competition. The city has been looking to replace Sergio Aguero for some time now, yet they may have just found two successors within one summer.
Haaland’s goal record this season is unparalleled. The Norwegian has managed to score more than a goal a game across all competitions – finding the net on 23 occasions in 18 appearances in total.
Alvarez has only made three starts in the Premier League so far, scoring three times across all 12 appearances in the competition. The Argentinian showed glimpses of his talent during his cameos under Guardiola, but the 22-year-old burst onto the scene during the World Cup.
The South American is returning as a different player to the one that left, flooded with a newfound confidence that allowed him to spearhead his country’s attack on the world’s biggest stage. In doing so, he hands his Catalan manager a serious issue: how does Guardiola find space for both Alvarez and Haaland on his City side?
The City manager has already hinted at a post-World Cup future for the pair, as he explained how the duo can start together in the wake of the Blues’ Carabao Cup victory over Chelsea last month.
“They can play together,” Guardiola told Sky Sports. “Against teams that defend so deep, they can share. The good players, they can always play together, and in this squad we have many.”
Alvarez will know he is not City’s first-choice striker, yet being told that he is likely to feature against teams that drop deep won’t cut it in the long term for the Argentine. In pre-season, Guardiola was also asked if the pair could combine, as he posed a different way for Alvarez to start alongside Haaland.
“If we play with tighter wings, I see [Alvarez] as complementary to Haaland. If we play with more open flanks, not so much.
“Julian has already adopted. A good player can adapt in the space of two afternoons. If you’ve got it, you’ve got it in Argentina and in England.”
The City manager’s term “complementary” could be seen as a tad condescending to some, yet any player in Guardiola’s squad knows that being selfless is not only a positive trait, it is vital to success.
Despite the argument of ‘it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’, Alvarez’s World Cup performances have thrown a spanner in the works.
The city will find themselves five points behind league leaders Arsenal when they play Leeds on December 28 knowing that they need to hit the ground running as they look to claw background on the Gunners.
Although Guardiola will be quietly confident that his side has what it takes to catch up with Mikel Arteta’s squad, the City manager may find that accelerated should he roll the dice and start Alvarez alongside Haaland in the Premier League. Even if the game against Leeds comes too soon for the Argentine after his efforts in Qatar, his performances throughout the tournament mean it surely can’t be too much longer until he gets his chance to shine next to the Norwegian – rather than instead of him.
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