The R(evolution) is Here, its Name is Rico Lewis
How the surprise emergence of 18-year-old Rico Lewis is reshaping one of the best club teams in world football.
“The revolution is not an apple that falls when it is ripe. You have to make it fall.” - Che Guevara
On May 1, 2009, two men set about a footballing revolution - plucking the metaphorical apple from its tree. So the story goes: a day before El Clásico, Pep Guardiola called a 21-year-old Lionel Messi into his office and divulged to him a master plan. The following day, approximately ten minutes into the game against Real Madrid, Messi and Samuel Eto’o were to swap positions - Messi was to occupy the central area and Eto’o was to drift wide right. Pep and Messi were the only two who knew about this until moments before the match (2014 Sean Swaby article).
While what happened on May 1 remains in the realm of lore, what happened the following day was tangible. Just as Pep had planned, about ten minutes into the game (with the score at 0-0) he motioned to Messi… the rest is history. Pep’s Barcelona dismantled Real Madrid 6-2, with two goals and an assist from Messi. It didn’t take long for the footballing world to realize they had just witnessed a revolution.
To many, that was the day when Messi became Messi. It was an unforgiving display of genius on one of the biggest stages the sport has to offer. Messi’s introduction to the False 9 role was simply extraordinary - the type of relationship only two brilliant minds (Messi and Pep alike) could conjure.
There are moments in football when you simply feel that what you are watching is something very, very special. May 2, 2009 was undoubtedly one of them.
In recent weeks, this feeling has been expressed and felt across the world in abundance. The 2022 World Cup offered us the extraordinary so consistently that many footballing fans questioned how a return to club football would feel in comparison. What could club football offer when we had just experienced a non-stop cacophony of emotion and exhilaration?
Well, leave that to Pep Guardiola.
If you have followed Pep Guardiola at all, you will know he is not the type of manager to do something on a whim. Pep’s actions are always calculated, or at least veiled under the guise of such intention. At times, his decisions can reach a point of “overthinking” (such as the 2021 UCL Final, when he opted to bench Rodri). Yet, regardless of how much criticism certain decisions bring, Pep has the arrogance and pedigree to back them up.
I mean, we’re talking about one of the greatest managers of all time here.
As a City supporter, this quality of Pep is my favorite thing about him. Yes, the man has a wonderful sense of style, humor, and finds pleasure in a good red wine, much like myself. Yet above all, it’s the conviction with which he makes decisions that makes me admire him.
Regardless of whatever circumstance he faces, I know without a doubt Pep will face that circumstance head-on. He’ll face it with so much determination, poise, and thoughtfulness that even if I want to disagree, it becomes near-impossible to do so.
Replaced by feelings of discontent or frustration is a feeling of curiosity: why did Pep decide to do things this way?
This season, much of the focus has (unsurprisingly) been on the integration of 22-year-old phenom Erling Håland. Like in Barcelona, when Pep united with Iniesta, Messi, and Xavi, like in Munich, when Pep united with Lewandowski, Müller, and Robben, like previously in Manchester, when Pep united with Agüero, David Silva, and De Bruyne, the union of Pep and Håland has been a spectacle to enjoy.
After a season when Pep generally fielded a team without a true number 9 - utilizing De Bruyne, Foden, and Gündoğan as fluid central attackers - many questioned how quickly Pep could adapt around Håland, and how quickly Håland could adapt to Pep and the Premier League.
21 games into Håland’s Man City career, I think we have the answer.
Håland has exceeded even the loftiest of expectations, currently sitting on 21 goals and 3 assists in only 15 Premier League appearances. The question never should have been: how quickly can Erling Håland adapt to the Premier league? The question we should have been asking is: how quickly can the Premier League adapt to Erling Håland?
While all eyes have been firmly set on the 22-year-old Norwegian, this piece isn’t about Håland. This piece is about the rise of another phenom, one whose emergence has caught many by surprise.
That would be 18-year-old Rico Lewis.
I’ll be honest, I barely knew who Rico Lewis was before this summer. I was aware of his development through City’s academy, but whenever I tuned in to City’s U-18 team in 2020/21 or 2021/22, I paid more attention to the likes of Carlos Borges, Romeo Lavia, Luke Mbete, James McAtee, or Adedire Mebude.
When Lewis was subbed on in City’s preseason friendlies against Club América (13-minute cameo) and Bayern Munich (14-minute cameo), I thought: “he looks like a good player, it’s nice to have another full-back option in case someone gets injured.” Pep was generous with his subs in these friendlies, offering playing time to young players such as Delap, Kayky, Mbete, McAtee, and Wilson-Esbrand. Lewis’s appearance seemed par for the course, and maybe it was at the time.
On August 13, Lewis made his Premier League debut against Bournemouth, subbing on for Kyle Walker in the 82’ when City were 4-0 ahead. Once again, I didn’t think much of it. 4-0 up against a newly-promoted side at the Etihad seemed like the perfect time to give a Manchester-born, academy-bred 17-year-old his Premier League debut. Again, this event seemed par for the course - nothing more than a kind gesture from Pep.
Lewis’s substitute appearance against Bournemouth made him City’s third youngest Premier League debutant under Pep Guardiola, after Phil Foden and Cole Palmer.
Over the next two months, Lewis made three substitute appearances: a 15-minute cameo against Nottingham Forest when City were 5-0 up, a 33-minute cameo against Copenhagen when City were 4-0 up, and a 12-minute cameo against Southampton when City were 4-0 up.
Again, par for the course, right? Of course, it’s impressive for any 17-year-old to be an option for City off the bench, but Lewis’s involvement seemed nothing more than that at the time.
Then came November 2. Having already qualified for the UCL Knockout Stage, City played host to Sevilla on Matchday 6 of the Group Stage. Needing a result to secure first-place in the group, Pep fielded a strong yet slightly unorthodox lineup.
After conceding a header to Rafa Mir in the 31’, City went into the break 1-0 down. Pep subbed on Rodri for Grealish and City looked to make a comeback in the second half.
In the 52’, a breakthrough came.
Sevilla’s Isco dispossessed Cole Palmer as City attacked and the ball fell to Sevilla’s left-back, Alex Telles. Telles played a wayward pass back across the midfield, which was intercepted by Julian Alvarez just ahead of the Sevilla backline. With one touch, Alvarez took the ball into space, before playing a perfectly weighted reverse pass with his next touch to the on-running Rico Lewis. Lewis converged from the right flank, firing the ball first-time over the left shoulder of Yassine Bounou, from about eight yards out.
A moment of rapid anticipation followed by a composed finish and a rowdy celebration (flying fist bump and all), Rico Lewis was firmly on the map. Just under three weeks until his 18th birthday, Lewis created a moment he’ll never forget.
With the goal, Lewis became the youngest ever UEFA Champions League player to score on his debut in the competition.
Little did we know, Lewis’s performance against Sevilla was only the tip of the iceberg.
After the Sevilla game, Lewis made one more appearance before the World Cup break - playing a full 90 minutes against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup. In the Premier League, Pep continued to put out the type of lineup we were accustomed to seeing.
Then, the World Cup break came and for about a month, most of us willingly forgot about club football.
While we were oohing and aahing about the nonstop excitement in Qatar - Saudi Arabia’s early upset over the eventual champions, Richarlison’s goal of the tournament, Belgium’s capitulation, Croatia and Morocco’s stunning campaigns, Mbappe’s exquisite performances, Messi and Argentina’s timely crowning - Pep Guardiola was hatching another one of his master plans.
Yet this time, it doesn’t involve a 21-year-old Lionel Messi. This time, it involves an 18-year-old Rico Lewis.
Now, I’m not trying to equate Rico Lewis to the greatest footballer of this generation, but hear me out.
Returning from the World Cup, City faced Liverpool in the Carabao Cup. The match was just four days after the final, so those who didn’t go to the World Cup and those who were eliminated before the quarter-finals were expected to start. However, most of the players from the quarter-final nations (Brazil, England, Netherlands, and Portugal) were also available.
While some expected heavy rotation, Pep fielded a strong lineup. Of the aforementioned quarter-finalists, Nathan Ake was the only one to start - Bernardo, Cancelo, Foden, Grealish, Stones, and Walker were all benched.
Deputizing for these players were Rico Lewis, at right-back, and Cole Palmer, at left-wing. Unsurprising, given the situation. The rest of the lineup (aside from Ortega for the absent Ederson, in net) consisted of proven first-team starters and City played very well, beating Liverpool 3-2.
Six days later, City returned to Premier League action against Leeds. This game, most people expected Pep to return to his pre-World Cup first-choice lineup. Leeds are known to be an energetic and difficult opponent, so one would expect a strong lineup from City.
What Pep did surprised the masses.
Along with benching Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva, Pep benched João Cancelo.
This isn’t some rotation-prone player we’re talking about here, this is João Cancelo - the man who started 36 out of 38 Premier League games last season, the man who (as a full-back) is currently wearing the #7 shirt for City. Before December 28, 2022, dropping a fit João Cancelo was an unfathomable idea.
Who started in his place? You guessed it, 18-year-old Rico Lewis.
To top it all off, after winning 3-1, Pep was absolutely beaming about Lewis: "He understands the game. He’s so clever. He helps us with our dynamics much better - playing against Chelsea, Liverpool, and here today at Elland Road, WOW!”
Pep also remarked: “We need Rico Lewis because for him it’s ‘wow,’ it’s new. ‘I want to be there, I want to play. I want to stay a long time here, I want to win one Premier League.’ And this energy is contagious. He gives it to me and he gives it to the players.”
While Lewis was seizing the opportunity, surely there had to be something wrong with Cancelo? Could it simply be a kick up his backside to bring him back to reality? An answer to that came just a few days later.
With the compact winter schedule, City returned to action three days after the Leeds game, this time against Everton. Most expected a “return to the norm,” with the likes of Bernardo, Cancelo, Foden, and/or Walker returning to the lineup. Yet only one of those four started, and it wasn’t Cancelo or Walker.
Once again, Pep benched his star defender and the pacey veteran, Kyle Walker, for 18-year-old Rico Lewis. Twice in four days!
City unluckily drew against Everton thanks to a stunning Demarai Gray strike, but Lewis performed exceptionally once again.
A few hours after the game, some eyebrow-raising quotes from Pep surfaced: “Lately, as I get older, I mainly look at the body language… You cannot play good when the body language is not correct… I know how good they are. The body language depends on them and sometimes they are not good and it is more difficult.”
With that, it looks like we have our answer: Cancelo and Walker are not in the right place mentally (according to Pep) to compete in the Premier League at the moment. Whether the comment is true or a veiled response, only Pep will know.
Logically, it makes sense the two will return to the lineup sooner or later. Whether it is in the next fixture, against Chelsea, or in a few weeks, who knows?
Yet, as easy as we can dismiss Lewis’s run of starts to the body language, mentality, and shortcomings of his full-back competition, doing so would overlook the most important aspect of the entire situation:
Rico Lewis is not just a temporary replacement, he is not just a squad player, and he is not just a reason to give Cancelo and Walker more motivation…
Rico Lewis is the key that unlocks Pep’s next tactical evolution.
You see, throughout Pep’s tenure at City, we’ve seen him alter his tactics and approach many times - far too many to recollect them all. Rhetorically, we can break these tactical shifts into defined systems, which we can break into periods to allow us to reference specific dynamics.
Up front, we’ve seen him deploy true center-forward setups with Agüero and Håland but we’ve also seen him deploy a fluid, atypical setup with De Bruyne, Foden, or Gündoğan.
Out wide, we’ve seen him deploy two strong-footed wingers (right-footed right-wingers and left-footed left-wingers) in a pairing like Sterling and Sané (referred to by many as City’s “cutback era”) but we’ve also seen him deploy two weak-footed wingers in a pairing like Grealish and Mahrez.
In midfield, we’ve seen Pep deploy a three-man midfield with Fernandinho or Rodri anchoring but we’ve also seen him deploy a two-man midfield with a front four.
At the back, we’ve seen typical four-at-the-back systems but we’ve also seen inverted three-at-the-back systems (primarily in possession).
Long story short, in Pep’s six-and-a-half years at Man City, we’ve almost seen it all. Key word… almost.
What we’ve seen in the last two weeks is almost an entirely new idea for Pep’s City.
Allow me to explain.
Since Pep was appointed, there’s one type of game that has consistently been a thorn in City’s side. This is the type of game when teams successfully sit back, then spring forward and catch City out on the counter-attack.
A notable example of this is City’s 2-1 loss earlier this season to Brentford. when Ivan Toney won the game in stoppage time on a counter-attack. Throughout the entire game, it was clear that Thomas Frank’s plan was to sit deep and look to use a combination of Toney and Mbeumo on the counter - and it worked. The same sort of thing happened last week against Everton, a game which ended in a draw.
This isn’t a new issue either, it’s what many managers have tried to do against Pep - because in a way, you’re almost forced to. Over time, managers and players alike have got better at countering City’s dominant style of play.
With such a persistent issue, you’d expect the managerial genius that is Pep Guardiola to come up with a quick response. However, it’s perhaps the one thing to truly elude him in the Premier League. Why?
Well, there are two things Pep has no control over: the unpredictability of the counter-attack and the quality of the opposition. In football, even a team as well-coached in maintaining possession as Pep’s City will lose the ball during the game. It’s inevitable, and when it does occur, it’s not planned. When you combine this with the quality of the Premier League, teams can take advantage of the situation. On the stats sheet, the opposition team may only have 20% possession and 2 shots, but if they make those moments count, they can beat a team like Man City.
That’s the bottom-line, this flaw is mostly down to variables outside of Pep’s control. However, there’s always a way to mitigate the issue.
Enter, Rico Lewis.
What we saw from City in the last three games is a 3-2 in-possession defensive structure. This means when City have the ball, there are generally five players in attack and five players in defense, with the goalkeeper in net. The five defenders position themselves in a 3-2 shape, with three center-backs behind a double pivot of Rodri and Lewis. Overall, we could refer to this as a 3-2-2-3 or 3-2-5 formation.
When City don’t have the ball, Lewis drops back into the right back position, with the three center-backs sliding over to make a back four. The primary aim of this, as mentioned, is presumedly to mitigate opportunities for the opposition on the counter.
Compared to other setups City has deployed this season, Lewis’s positioning in the 3-2 system does a few things.
First, compared to the 2-3 defensive system City typically deploy with Cancelo (which could also be referred to as a 3-1 or diamond system, when Cancelo joins the front five), there is added defensive stability. Before, Cancelo’s positioning was most often in the wide areas, and the relationship between him and the center-back on his side was weak. Now, the inverted full-back (Lewis) is positioned in the half space vertically ahead of, and slightly inside, the same-sided center-back. On the counter, either Lewis or the wide center-back can step while the other drops - mitigating the chance of being caught out on the counter. With Cancelo’s old role, that center-back would often be stranded - a weakness for City on the counter.
Second, Lewis plays in line with Rodri horizontally, whereas Cancelo typically plays ahead of Rodri. This forms a relationship between the inverted full-back (Lewis) and Rodri which was not there before. Now, one of them can step to press while the other drops back (even dropping as deep as the defensive line). Rather than Rodri doing everything on his own, he now has a partner who can take some of the load off him - allowing his positioning to be freer in response to various situations.
Third, there are knock-on effects with the five attackers. The added defensive solidity generally allows the attackers to stay forward. When Cancelo plays, he most often becomes a sixth attacker. In transition, the advanced midfielders (Bernardo, De Bruyne, or Gündoğan) would often have to cover for him. With Lewis sitting deep most often, these midfielders now have a greater license to attack. As well, by overloading the central areas with the advanced midfielders, more one-on-one opportunities are created out wide for the likes of Foden, Grealish, and Mahrez.
All-in-all, Pep’s new system takes a further step into the dominant, possession-based style he boasts. While it may concede certain attacking dynamics against a five-at-the-back team (such as we saw against Everton), the system seems more balanced than before.
The immediate question this brings forth is: why has Pep not utilized this idea sooner?
An impulsive response may be that he only thought of the idea now; but can you really believe that to be true when we’re talking about one of the greatest football minds ever?
My response is the contrary: Pep has had this idea for some time, but he has never had the right type of player to implement it with. That is, until now.
One could argue that Cancelo, Stones, or Walker could be utilized in this role, but I would argue they each lack a quality necessary to play the role.
Stones is an elite defender and for the most part, also possesses the required midfield ability; however he is let down by his attacking prowess, as he lacks the skillset required to involve himself in City’s intricate attacking rotations.
Walker lacks both the attacking and midfield abilities required to execute this role, he is much better suited as the right-sided center-back.
Then, we have Cancelo. On first glance, he seems like a good fit for the role - he has the technical ability to do everything required. However, I believe the issue with Cancelo, at least for the moment, is that he lacks the decision-making and restraint needed to operate alongside Rodri in midfield. Cancelo has a tendency to advance into the attacking line more often than the new role requires. Perhaps he can change this given a new set of directions, but it seems like part of who he is as a footballer. In the long-term, it will be interesting to see whether Pep tailors him to better suit this role - if so, I expect it to take some time.
Guardiola teams are known for being extremely complex - even the best footballers often need a season or two to get accustomed to his style of play. Of all the roles in the City team at the moment, I would argue the Rico Lewis role is the most difficult to execute.
In the frontline, the dynamics between the wingers and advanced midfielders are super complex - they constantly interchange, fluidly operating through the space left by the opposition. As difficult as it is to grasp those movements and relationships, they come relatively risk-free for the wingers.
The advanced midfielders have the more difficult job, in comparison. They have more defensive duties and need to take on a myriad of midfield roles, while also being involved in the attacking rotations.
Rodri’s role is also extremely difficult, as it requires a press-resistant midfielder who acts as a counter-weight for the players around them.
The center-forward and center-backs roles, in comparison to those mentioned, are more straight-forward. This is not to say they aren’t also extremely complex and require world-class talent to execute, just that they require a narrower range of responsibilities than their teammates.
Then, we have the Rico Lewis role. In short, Lewis needs to do everything that every other player on the pitch has to do (besides the center-forward and goalkeeper). At times, he has to defend in a backline with the three center-backs. At other times, he has to act as a double-pivot alongside Rodri - counter-balancing each other and those around them. At other times, he is purposefully stranded in the center of midfield by himself. At other times, he has to advance forward and join in on the fluid attacking rotations.
This role requires such a well-rounded footballer, along with the football IQ to know when to assume each role and how to execute it, that Pep hasn’t been able to utilize this system until now.
Out of all the players in City’s recent squads, and out of the vast majority of players available from the transfer market (if not all of them), no player can play this role like Rico Lewis.
I can’t overstate this enough: I’m not sure I’ve seen a role that requires as much football IQ as the Rico Lewis role.
When we look at the skillsets required for each position, we begin to understand how mind-boggling a role like Lewis’s is to execute. Not to mention how absurd it is for an 18-year-old to be the one to fill that role.
There’s a reason for that.
As Michael Cox noted in his recent article “Have Man City created Pep Guardiola’s dream full-back? Rico Lewis feels like a new breed of player” Lewis has been taught football from a very young age with this role in mind. Growing up through the City Academy, especially in the recent years since Pep has come in, Lewis has been bred as this sort of hybrid, inverted right-back. Any right-back you can go and buy on the market would likely lack not only the technical ability to do what Lewis does, but the understanding of how to do it as well.
Most impressive, in my opinion, is the poise Lewis shows in this role - he never looks out of place. In fact, not only does he look like he belongs, he looks like the team was built around him. Numerous times against Everton, he could be seen pointing to his teammates, telling them where to pass the ball and what spaces to occupy. You don’t expect that body language from any player, much less an 18-year-old who is only starting their second Premier League game.
On the ball, he looks as calm as anyone. Listed at 5’7” (175 cm), Lewis doesn’t have the frame to get physical with many Premier League midfielders. Instead, he drifts into the space between them all - most often in the center of an opposition triangle, equidistant from each of them. This either draws the opposition out of their shape or allows Lewis to receive the ball with space to turn. When given the opportunity to receive, he has amazing ability to distribute on the half-turn; and knows when he needs to play a quick one-two back to the defensive line instead.
When City are forced to defend, Lewis’s defensive abilities fit right in - they don’t stand out one way or the other. In attack, he has certainly lacked a bit of composure and execution once he gets on the ball (likely attributed to nerves), but his ability to find spaces to be able to get on the ball has been extraordinary.
I could sit here and praise him all day.
While his skillset may not give him the praise that youngsters like Håland, Leão, Mbappe, or Pedri receive, and while it may take the world a bit longer to recognize his genius, Rico Lewis is already a special, special footballer.
In the short-term, we’re yet to see whether Pep will continue to start Lewis. Maybe the 3-2 defensive setup is only intended to be used in specific types of games. There are, of course, still a lot of unknowns.
However, this doesn’t feel like a temporary solution - this feels like a revolution.
Rico Lewis is the type of player bred for a Guardiola system and, in my opinion, is the archetypal representation of the next evolution of full-back.
Many know him now as the 18-year-old born in Manchester, brought up through the City Academy since the age of 8, captain of City’s 2021/22 U-18 team, and youngest debutant goal-scorer in Champions League history.
Not for long.
Give it some time, and many will know him as one of the most unique footballers in the entire world - an apple plucked from the tree of Pep Guardiola’s mind.
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this piece, considering sharing it with the button above. If you’d like to hear more from me, you can find me on Twitter @4lex_mcfc
Just awesome Alex, I had no idea how eloquent you could be…….👏👏
Great analysis, Alex! Do you think the anticipated rise of Lewis is why Pep sold Zinchenko to Arsenal?