Pundit issues ‘scary’ Joao Cancelo verdict after Man City latest
Noel Whelan has hailed Joao Cancelo and Kyle Walker for their roles as Man City recorded a simple 2-0 win over West Ham on Sunday (7 August).
The former Leeds striker, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, insisted the Irons “found it very difficult to deal” with the pair – who were playing in a “free role” in the Citizens’ midfield.
As seen in the average positions from Sunday’s clash posted to Twitter by James Nalton (7 August), Cancelo (7) and Walker (2) tucked into central positions to allow Man City to sustain possession across long periods of the match.
The reigning champions finished the game with 75% of the ball – completing 793 passes to West Ham’s 215.
Cancelo recorded the most touches for Pep Guardiola’s side with 124, while Walker recorded 100 (per FBRef).
Whelan insisted the duo’s “scary” ability on the ball allows Guardiola to be more fluid with his team’s setup.
“This caused real problems for West Ham,” he told Football Insider‘s Ewan Kingsbury.
“It overloaded the midfield and left the wide players out to do their jobs one-v-one on the wing.
“Because Walker and Cancelo are so good on the ball, they’re more than capable of filling in that midfield area.
“That’s the scary thing about it. Pep Guardiola always does something a little bit different.
“They were playing almost a free role in that midfield, and I think the stats proved that West Ham found that very hard to deal with.
“They were just in control from the word go – the passes, the possession, the completions.
“I did feel for West Ham – because how can you get on the ball when you’re up against that?”
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