Manchester City have endured a patchy 2025/2026 season, with inconsistent performances and key injuries disrupting their defensive spine.
To address these issues, Pep Guardiola strengthened in January by signing Marc Guéhi to bolster the back line and Antoine Semenyo to refresh the attack, while the return of Omar Marmoush from AFCON 2025 added further attacking quality.
This data analysis report examines Manchester City’s tactical landscape under Pep Guardiola following the January 2026 reinforcements, with a particular focus on the reintegration of Omar Marmoush after his standout AFCON 2025 campaign with Egypt, alongside the arrivals of Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guéhi.
The report analyses Manchester City as a collective unit, tracking their tactical adjustments and structural fluctuations across the season, before focusing on the limited but revealing sample of matches played after the January transfer window.
Using data-driven insights, we examine how Guardiola adapted his systems to accommodate these profiles, the impact on pressing, spacing, and chance creation, and what these changes signal for City’s evolving identity during the second half of the campaign.
Manchester City Formation Under Pep Guardiola 2025/2026
Throughout the 2025/2026 campaign, Pep Guardiola has leaned heavily on structural flexibility to navigate Manchester City’s inconsistent form and injury disruptions.
Manchester City Lineups Under Pep Guardiola – 2025/2026 Season
Manchester City Lineups Under Pep Guardiola – 2025/2026 Season
The most prominent system deployed has been the 4-1-4-1, used in approximately 53% of City’s matches to date.
This shape has provided Guardiola with control and stability, particularly through a single pivot shielding the defence while allowing the two advanced central midfielders to dictate tempo and progress play between the lines.
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