Manchester City played with like a 2-2-1-5 line up in set attacks. İlkay and Rodri took position in front of the stoppers. Full backs went forward and De Bruyne took position between forward and midfield lines. Wolverhampton met them with 5-3-2 line up in set defences. They met Manchester City in mid block.
Wolverhampton’s midfielders and centre forwards couldn’t press to Manchester City midfielders and defenders aggressively. It’s probably because they played against Chelsea at the weekend with the same first eleven. In this match’s first eleven, the only change was in right wing back position. So probably players were still a little bit tired. But of course we can’t know 100%. It is just my personal opinion.
But as a result, Wolverhampton couldn’t press aggressively against Manchester City. This time, Manchester City midfielders could pass the ball to forward players comfortably. And forward players had space to escape to defense line’s behind because Wolverhampton tried to met them in mid block so Wolverhampton defense line wasn’t close to their own penalty box. Also because defense line tried to meet Manchester City forward players as possible as in forward without caring about offside rule, when Manchester City’s one forward player closed to midfield, he could pull a defender and another Manchester City player could escape from defender’s behind comfortably.
Normally Wolverhampton players were matching with Manchester City players 1 by 1 in everywhere. 2 centre forwards were matching with 2 Manchester City stoppers. 2 centre midfielders were matching with 2 centre midfielders. 1 defensive midfielder was matching with De Bruyne. Wing backs were matching with full backs and 3 stoppers were matching with 3 forward players. The problem was, De Bruyne usually went forward and supported forward players so much. And Wolverhampton’s defensive midfielder didn’t close to defense line with following De Bruyne. He kept taking position closer to centre midfielders and centre forwards. He supported midfielders and centre forwards. And when De Bruyne closed to forward, this time, against 5 Wolverhampton defenders, they had 6 players. And they could use this numerical advantage so productively.
Normally ,when De Bruyne closed to forward, Wolverhampton defenders could still defend well. But Manchester City could use half-spaces well and Wolverhampton defenders couldn’t realize that centre was free for De Bruyne.
When the ball was in midfield’s one of the wings, the Manchester City winger which was now taking position closer to the opposite wing, took position in half-space. He didn’t close to space, which now Manchester City were trying to make game. And when he took position in half-space, he pulled Wolverhampton’s one stopper and one wing back at the same time. Both players were pulled by winger and they tried to cover 1 player with 2 players. And also not one of them could cover winger closely. Stopper couldn’t cover winger closely because if he would cover, centre would have so much space for Manchester City. Wing back couldn’t cover winger closely because if he would, Manchester City’s full back could be free.
Normally defending this situation was so simple. If stopper and wing back would still take position closer to defense line’s other players, instead of taking position closer to the other wing, they could cover comfortably. Because this time, stopper could cover De Bruyne when De Bruyne closed to forward and wing back could cover winger comfortably. Full back would be free but it wouldn’t be a problem for Wolverhampton now. Because when winger would take position in half-space, full back would be in wing. And because Wolverhampton tried to meet Manchester City in mid block, even if Manchester City players could pass the ball to free full back to the opposite wing with a long ball, full back couldn’t be effective. Because now, he wasn’t closer to penalty box. And when full back took the ball in wing far away from penalty box, to use his freedom effectively, Manchester City forward players had to create space for themselves with movements. Full back couldn’t be effective by himself because now he was in wing. So with the ball, he wasn’t a direct threat for Wolverhamton. Because as I said, he wasn’t close to penalty box. If he would be closer to penalty box, with crossing the ball into the penalty box or dribbling, he could be effective. But now, if he went forward with the ball from wing, he couldn’t be effective with the ball because Wolverhampton’s wing back could close to him from half-space until full back could go forward much enough. And from half-space, wing back could close to wing quickly. And with little shifts, Wolverhampton defenders could be organized again.
So using wing far away from penalty box’s only way was passing the ball to forward players. But because now Wolverhampton defenders matched with Manchester City forward players 1 by 1, Manchester City players couldn’t create space for themselves if defenders wouldn’t make a simple mistake.