Let’s go back a few months – to November to be precise: The world of Julián Álvarez still looked happy back then. He’s been hailed as Argentina’s next big striker, and not without reason. The right-footer scored a strong four goals at the desert World Cup in Qatar. The semi-final against Croatia (3-0) was particularly memorable, which he almost single-handedly decided with a brace and a penalty.
Since then, Álvarez has only scored twice. In the last three games it was particularly thick: Disappointing two minutes of game time are on the books. Or to put it another way: for 268 minutes, the nimble attacker had to watch from the bench as his team-mates only managed to win one game (3-1 against Arsenal). Many City fans are now wondering whether the 23-year-old would have been more than the 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest and RB Leipzig.
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His acceleration, paired with clever runs and brisk dribbling made Álvarez indispensable for the Albiceleste in winning the title. But it often became clear that he had by no means reached the end of the road in his development. The main room for improvement is in the end. Álvarez often played too playfully, missing the right moment to score.
Is that the reason for Pep’s bank ban? Well possible, but with Erling Haaland (22), the world champion has an absolute top striker in front of his nose. The few ball contacts that the Norwegian often has belie Haaland’s true value for the Skyblues. The ex-Dortmunder often binds several defenders at the same time, giving his teammates room to play their own game. 32 goals in 32 games across all competitions make any further discussion superfluous.
Cup competition as a springboard?
Against Tottenham Hotspur (0-1), Guardiola let his two strikers off the post together and had to watch how the dynamic duo remained unlucky and goalless over 90 minutes. Álvarez was unable to come up with any convincing arguments either in conjunction with Haaland or alone. At first glance, it may seem strange that a world champion is just stewing on the bench. But pragmatically speaking, there is simply no reason for the Spanish tactical fox to withdraw confidence from a 32-goal man.
The attacker, who was trained at River Plate, has to accept his role as a backup and continue to wait patiently for his chance. In the upcoming Premier League game against AFC Bournemouth (Saturday 6:30 p.m.) or at the latest in the following FA Cup duel at second division Bristol City, a game should be possible from the start. Then Álvarez has another chance to show what he’s made of.
