With the Premier League well underway, we’ve already seen how different teams set up in various styles. Here, we look at three of the most attacking teams in the league, and what their setup allows them to do
1. Manchester City
When it comes to the most attacking teams in the league, it’s hard to ignore the side who’ve had the most shots on goal so far this season.
The city has averaged 17.6 shots per game so far, and it’s no surprise when you look at their new attacking 4-3-3 system under Pep Guardiola.
This is a formation that is very much playing into Manchester City’s strengths, but Guardiola has his men playing a wide shape despite the narrow formation.
Raheem Sterling and Nolito are both expected to occupy the flanks, with protection behind them in the attacking form of David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne.
It says a lot for City’s approach to their games that they have an attacking midfielder such as Silva generally occupying a defensive midfield role.
Guardiola likes his defensive midfielders to push up as high as possible, and like United, their high line forces the opposition to retreat and have no space to themselves.
The Citizens are the highest scorers in the league so far with nine goals in three games, and it’s just their abundance of quality that allows them to worry a lot less about their defensive side.
They even go as so far as to play what can be known as two attacking centre-backs, with John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi generally weaving their way forward to add further bodies to attacks.
You would think this would leave City prone to counter attacks, but such is the pace of City’s back four, they can hold such a high line and join in attacks without being worried about being caught out for pace.
They have the perfect mix in their squad of pace and flair, and they use all of their strengths to perfection in this 4-3-3 formation being moulded by Guardiola.
In the past, Manuel Pellegrini would often have the likes of Fernandinho sitting just in front of the defence in a more cautious approach, but Guardiola is an attacking manager, and he prefers his side to dominate and use the motto expressing the best form of defence is an attack.
The beauty of this City side, however, is how quickly they can fluctuate into differing formations depending on the situation.
They can switch to a 4-2-3-1 like they did in their 5-0 mauling of Steaua Bucharest in the Champions League.
They can do this with relative ease, and despite having to mix and match positions, they’ve proven that it doesn’t affect their hunger to attack directly.
It comes as no surprise to see City on this list considering they have the master of tiki-taka as their manager, and the potential this squad has considering its young age is scary.
