MANCHESTER, England: Kyle Walker is set to have only limited game time at Manchester City for the rest of the season because manager Pep Guardiola said the England right back is ill-equipped to play in the team’s new system.
Guardiola has been playing a three-man defense, pushing one of the full backs in a central-midfield role alongside Rodri. That has been John Stones in recent weeks, meaning Walker — who isn’t as technically strong on the ball — has mostly been a substitute despite being a key member of City’s success in recent years.
“He cannot do it,” Guardiola said of Walker playing as an inverted full back. “He will always have pace. He will be the fastest in this room at 60 years old. To play inside, you have to make some educated movements. He has other characteristics.
“He has played as a full back coming inside in the past with four in the back, with Joao (Cancelo) or Aleks (Zinchenko) in that position, and Kyle has done it really well. But with this shape of three in the back and two in the middle, he cannot do it ... he will maybe need time to do it and we don’t have time.”
The 32-year-old Walker, who is in his sixth season at City, had looked like he would benefit from the departure of Cancelo to Bayern Munich in January but that hasn’t been the case.
Asked what Walker needed to do to earn his place back, Guardiola said: “Be himself. Train good, he can play in the three, three at the back on the right, and is maybe the best that we have. Sometimes we play with Manu (Akanji) or John. The reason why is tactical. It’s not because we lost faith in Kyle.”
The 28-year-old Stones has sometimes struggled when asked to push forward into midfield, but now he looks at home.
“Our shape was completely different when we tried it before and that was maybe why he struggled more,” Guardiola said. “Now we practice more, he knows more, our routine is a little better and that’s why we can use him.
“It is a new position for him and he has to concentrate all the time. When you play as a central defender or in other position, when you see the game from behind, it is completely different to when you are in the middle surrounded. Some movements and patterns are more difficult. That’s why I appreciate a lot what he has done.”
Guardiola says Walker cannot play in City’s current system
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Guardiola says Walker cannot play in City’s current system
- Guardiola has been playing a three-man defense, pushing one of the full backs in a central-midfield role alongside Rodri
- “He cannot do it,” Guardiola said of Walker playing as an inverted full back
Real Madrid edge Valencia to stay on Barca’s tail, Atletico slump
- After Spanish champions Barca had beaten Mallorca on Saturday, Alvaro Arbeloa’s Madrid eked out a tight victory at Mestalla to keep the pressure on their arch-rivals
BARCELONA: Kylian Mbappe scored his 23rd goal of the season in La Liga to help Real Madrid claim a battling 2-0 win at Valencia on Sunday and close the gap to leaders Barcelona to one point.
Third-place Atletico Madrid slumped to a 1-0 defeat at home to Real Betis, three days after thrashing the Andalusian side in the Copa del Rey, falling further away from the top two.
After Spanish champions Barca had beaten Mallorca on Saturday, Alvaro Arbeloa’s Madrid eked out a tight victory at Mestalla to keep the pressure on their arch-rivals.
Missing suspended forward Vinicius Junior and injured midfielder Jude Bellingham, Los Blancos lacked sparkle but did enough to claim three points on Spain’s east coast.
Alvaro Carreras put the visitors ahead midway through the second half and Mbappe struck late on to seal their win.
“It was going to be a game where we had to have a lot of patience. I think it was a win that came because of how solid we were, and our focussed performance,” said Arbeloa.
“I think that we were fair winners.”
England international Trent Alexander-Arnold made his return after injury as a substitute in the second half of Madrid’s victory.
Arda Guler and Mbappe had chances in the first half, while Madrid right-back David Jimenez, from the club’s youth academy, came closest to scoring but was denied by goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski.
Midway through the second half, Carreras conjured a goal out of nothing to give Madrid the lead.
Coming in from the left, the defender used his weaker right foot to stroke the ball inside Dimitrievski’s near post.
Valencia might have levelled but Lucas Beltran’s effort on the stretch clipped the post.
Madrid eventually secured the three points in stoppage time as Brahim Diaz teed up La Liga’s top scorer Mbappe to finish from close range.
“Right now he’s the best player in the world, for what he’s showing day after day and game after game,” said Arbeloa, who reiterated that Mbappe could live up to his boyhood idol Cristiano Ronaldo’s legacy at Real Madrid.
“As I’ve said before, it seemed like Cristiano was something alien, impossible to equal, and that nobody would get close, but Kylian is on a good path... it’s not easy, obviously, but if anyone can, it’s Kylian.”
Valencia’s fans, some of whom had waved white handkerchieves during the match in protest at the club’s situation, headed for the exits with Los Che 17th, one point above the drop zone.
“It’s normal that (the fans) are nervous, I would be too,” admitted Valencia captain Jose Gaya to DAZN.
Revenge mission
Antony’s first-half strike helped Betis win at Atletico, earning his side revenge for their cup mauling, and leaving Atletico 13 points behind leaders Barcelona.
Betis, fifth, continued their push toward the top four, now trailing fourth-placed Villarreal by four points, although they have played two more matches than the Yellow Submarine.
Diego Simeone’s Atletico waltzed into the Copa del Rey semifinals with a hefty 5-0 win at Betis on Thursday, but this was a far closer affair at Atletico’s Metropolitano stadium.
“It’s a tough defeat to take after the great game we had in the cup. We weren’t as good as the other day,” admitted Atletico captain Koke to Movistar.
“They set up a lot tighter at the back... We had very few chances and they played a great game.”
Betis coach Manuel Pellegrini made five changes to the team which crumbled at home and his side were determined to prove a point in the Spanish capital.
“I’m very happy for the goal and even more so for the victory — it’s been a very difficult week,” said Antony, who curled home after 28 minutes, beating Jan Oblak at his near post.
“We had to change, there was no other option... we’re sorry (to the fans) for the game in the cup.”
Atletico had the ball in Betis’s net with 15 minutes to go when Diego Llorente headed Giuliano Simeone’s cross into his own net, but Antoine Griezmann was judged to be fractionally offside and interfering with play.
Elsewhere, Athletic Bilbao beat Levante 4-2, Sevilla and Girona shared a 1-1 draw, and Getafe won 2-0 at Alaves.
