Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says he regrets not playing Rico Lewis on a more regular basis after his excellent display at the weekend.
The fullback started instead of Kyle Walker against Chelsea, with the 34-year-old having only recently returned to training. Asked About Lewis’s display at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, Guardiola replied:
“Last season, he could not play a lot of games. I said [to myself], ‘Why I don’t make this player play’?”
Lewis made 27 appearances in all competitions for City last campaign but he was only given 8 starts by Guardiola in the Premier League.
City have a different shape with Lewis in the team
The teenager is comfortable playing as an inverted fullback, unlike Walker, and that gives the City the option of playing three at the back, with Lewis moving into more central areas.
There were numerous examples throughout the 90 minutes of the 19-year-old picking up the ball in the middle of the pitch, opening up passing lanes and making forward runs into space. He even popped up in the box to score, but the goal was chalked off due to a foul in the build-up by Erling Haaland.
It’s been a positive start to the season
Guardiola had warned fans that his team may be slow out of the blocks, with several key players returning to training late after their exploits for the countries over the summer.
The fact that the likes of Walker, John Stones and Phil Foden were left on the bench against Chelsea demonstrated that the Cityzens were not a full strength. Rodri did not even make the matchday squad.
However, in the Community Shield and, again, at the weekend, City’s squad depth has proven vital. The likes of Lewis, Mateo Kovacic and others have shown Guardiola that they can be relied upon in big fixtures.