When Manchester City unveiled Julian Alvarez alongside Erling Haaland and backup keeper Stefan Ortega last summer, it felt a little unbalanced as a trio.
Haaland was the obvious marquee buy. Alvarez was thought to be little more than a deputy for when the Scandi superhero wanted to rest up: a final 20 minutes player. But in a season in which he's won the World Cup as a integral figure for Argentina and chipped in with key goals for Manchester City, the 23-year-old has exceeded expectation nicely.
What's more, his role might actually increase in the coming months.
Julian Alvarez has played in Kevin De Bruyne's role for Manchester City
We all know how Manchester City work this season. Pep Guardiola operates with his customary 4-3-3, which becomes a 3-2-4-1 when City have the ball. It's a fluid system, which involves full-backs and centre-backs moving into midfield.
Often, it's right-back Kyle Walker who forms the back three, with John Stones or Rico Lewis moving into the midfield pivot. Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan play in the attacking midfield roles behind Erling Haaland – but below is a still taken from the heavens in the second half against Brighton. Julian Alvarez is in De Bruyne's position, circled in black.
Alvarez has played in this position often for City, both from the bench and from the start. It's often labelled as a 4-2-3-1 – which is unusual for Pep Guardiola, whose teams are almost always described as playing in a 4-3-3.
FFT's Adam Clery describes the way that this five-strong attacking formation functions below. City can afford creative midfielders out wide who want the ball to feet rather than looking for space in behind – Bernardo Silva, Jack Grealish and Riyad Mahrez, rather than Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane – since Haaland can stretch defences back in order to create the space.
So Alvarez offers something different from a central berth. While it's been levelled that City's attacking four behind Haaland have been a little flat at times this season, the Argentine naturally wants to break free to combine with Haaland.
In recent weeks, De Bruyne has been involved further ahead, too, chipping in with more goals. It's a subtle tweak that has been made to the established attacking shape – and it seems to be giving Haaland more support up top.
