Football writer Adrian Clarke assesses the value Nico Gonzalez will bring to Manchester City's midfield and studies the newcomer’s contributions so far.
Player analysis: Nico Gonzalez
Pep Guardiola recognised an urgent need for Manchester City to add a new face in central midfield, and the early signs suggest he chose wisely by signing Nico Gonzalez in the January window.
The Spaniard could not prevent his new side losing at home to Liverpool, but he did play a key role in assured victories against Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur.
Next up are one of City’s main rivals for a top-four place, Nottingham Forest - one of the most dangerous counter-attacking sides in the division.
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But will Nico’s presence make them less vulnerable to this type of opponent?
How has Nico impacted Man City off the ball?
Without the injured Rodri, last season’s champions have not been able to dictate or control matches with as much precision.
They have also been more susceptible to counter-attacks than ever before, clearly missing the Ballon d’Or winner's athleticism and defensive nous.
In both facets of City’s play, Nico has brought about an instant improvement.
The 23-year-old smells danger and is fast enough across the turf to react to situations that may cause City problems.
The below example from his impressive Premier League debut against Newcastle is a good example of how he can cut off dangerous breakaways at source.
He initially follows his man towards the touchline, and with many team-mates dragged to that side too, there is a huge hole left in the middle of the pitch…
As soon as Tino Livramento sees that space, he surges into it, looking to spring a breakaway attack for Newcastle.
Yet Nico senses that problem very early. He instantly changes the course of his run to block off the right-back, winning the ball back in a strong 50-50 duel.
This is exactly the type of transition that was consistently hurting Guardiola’s side prior to his arrival.
If you pore over the stats, it is crystal clear that Nico has made an immediate difference.
A contributor to two clean sheets in three outings, the Spaniard has stabilised the midfield with his disciplined positioning.
Leaving fewer gaps to exploit, there has been a major downturn in transitions, big chances, and fast break shots faced.
Man City before and with Nico - PL 2024/25
| Stats per 90 minutes | Before Nico | With Nico |
| Opp. transitions reaching City penalty area | 5.7 | 4.7 |
|---|---|---|
| Opp. transitions reaching City defensive third | 10.8 | 8.0 |
| Big chances faced | 2.8 | 1.0 |
| Shots faced from fast breaks | 1.3 | 0.3 |
| Fast breaks faced | 1.4 | 0.3 |
Despite coming up against a trio of strong opponents in Newcastle, Liverpool, and Tottenham Hotspur – all excellent teams on the counter – Man City largely curtailed them very well.
To confirm what that means in real terms, Man City's average Expected Goals Against (xGA) in those three challenging fixtures was 0.84 per 90 minutes, compared with 1.44 per 90 in the previous 24 matches before Nico was brought into the team.
Man City's average xGA - PL 2024/25
| Stats per 90 minutes | Before Nico | With Nico |
| xGA | 1.44 | 0.84 |
|---|
Forest have the tactical style that was causing City problems earlier in the campaign, so the presence of their January recruit will be helpful.
What 'Mini Rodri' brings in possession
Whether he plays as a sole defensive pivot or as part of a central midfield pairing, Nico is like a magnet to the ball, always offering himself for a pass.
He wants as much of the play as possible to come through him when City have quality possession, just like his compatriot Rodri. At home to Newcastle and Liverpool, Nico made 103 and 93 passes respectively, which were both team-highs.
Labelled “Mini Rodri” by Guardiola, when you look at the data around Nico’s distribution the similarities are abundantly clear.
Rarely making a loose pass, quickly moving it onto team-mates, he keeps the ball exceptionally well.
Man City central midfielders - PL passing stats 2024/25
| Stats per 90 minutes | Successful passes | Passing accuracy |
| Nico Gonzalez | 80.33 | 95.58% |
|---|---|---|
| Rodri | 77.73 | 93.44% |
| Mateo Kovacic | 70.36 | 93.29% |
| Ilkay Gundogan | 64.48 | 92.75% |
| Stats per 90 minutes | Successful passes in opp half | Passing accuracy in opp half |
| Nico Gonzalez | 51.82 | 94.52% |
|---|---|---|
| Rodri | 51.32 | 92.21% |
| Mateo Kovacic | 47.01 | 90.82% |
| Ilkay Gundogan | 39.40 | 90.48% |
At his previous clubs FC Porto and Barcelona, Nico was known for his progressive distribution, but we have not yet seen much of that from him.
It will no doubt come as his confidence grows, but across his first three matches in English football, the midfielder has concentrated hard on passing the ball in a neat and tidy fashion.
This is his pass map from those three fixtures combined, and it features just one successful pass into the opposition penalty area.
Most of his distribution until this point has been to shift the ball sideways and towards the wings.
A versatile performer
We only have a three-match sample size, but you can already see that Nico is not just a fill-in for Rodri, but also someone capable of playing alongside him.
Guardiola discussed this recently, when he said: "I think he can play in both positions. In Barcelona, he plays more as No 8. That means he's a guy who arrives to the box. He has the ability to dribble but when he arrives, the role that Gundo [Ilkay Gundogan] has done in the treble year, that can be as an attacking midfielder, [or a] holding midfielder. This double position, he can do it perfectly, so, he can do with Rodri, that shape to go forward and back."
We have caught a glimpse of Nico's adaptability in recent matches too.
In the 2-0 defeat at home to Liverpool, he performed as the No.6 defensive pivot. This freed up Kevin de Bruyne and Omar Marmoush to play further ahead of him, with right-back Rico Lewis inverting into midfield.
As shown in the average-position map from that contest, City’s shape morphed into a 3-2-5 in possession.
On his debut against the Magpies, Nico (LCM, below) performed in a more conventional double pivot alongside Gundogan (RCM).
And then, in a controlled 1-0 success at Spurs, it was Mateo Kovacic (RCM, below) who sat deeper in a quarter-back role, freeing up Nico (LCM) to adopt a box-to-box role to the left of centre.
Wherever Guardiola chooses to use Nico, it will always be designed to suit the players around him, and that is the tactical flexibility this mid-season recruit has offered his head coach.
I would anticipate Nico’s role being an integral one in Saturday’s early kick-off at home to a Forest side who will sit back and look to counter at speed.
Most likely to operate in the No.6 role, his nimbleness and reading of the game will be crucial in stemming the visitors’ breakaways, and in possession he could well usurp the 103 passes he made against Newcastle.
He will bring tremendous value to his team, on and off the ball in Matchweek 28 against Forest.