City find an unusual solution at left-back

IN the week where City saw their left-back target join Chelsea and Joao Cancelo exposed by Liverpool, Pep Guardiola found an innovative solution to the pressure building on the position at West Ham – not to use one.

- JOE BRAY

The Blues decided not to pay Brighton’s asking price for Marc Cucurella - which was understandable considering he joined Chelsea for £55m, rising to £62m - but that has left them worryingly light on full-backs with less than a month of the transfer window remaining.

It was expected that Cancelo would start at left-back at West Ham, then, with Kyle Walker on the right, although the way they played was far less predictable.

From the start, both tucked inside wherever possible, effectively acting as a double pivot, in stark contrast to their touchline-hugging roles against Liverpool last week.