A Case Study Applying Lag-Sequential Analysis on Manchester City’s End of Offensive Phase During the UEFA Champions League

Abstract

End of offensive phase with efficacy is the main aim in soccer. Limited research on Guardiola’s Manchester City, catalysed this diachronic, idiographic, and multidimensional case study which applied lag-sequential analysis. All attacking behaviours of City’s matches from the UEFA Champions League 2019-2020 (group stage) were obtained from INSTAT, recorded on SoccerEye and analysed by SDIS-GSEQ and Microsoft Excel. Findings show that City had a 17.07% efficacy in their attacking sequences. Having the ball in the central offensive zone induced wide shots (Fws z=4.14), shots on target (Fst z=2.34) and goals (Fgl z=4.61), and inhibited loss of ball possession by error of the ball carrier / defender’s intervention (Fled z=-7.74). City’s relative numerical inferiority induced loss of ball possession by error of the ball carrier / defender’s intervention (Fled z=2.49) or loss of ball possession by intervention of the opponent’s goalkeeper (Fgk z=2.52), while numerical equality with no pressure induced wide shots (Fws z=3.77) and throwing the ball out of the pitch (Fo z=2.51). The interactions between forward line and opponents’ midline (FM; z=2.66) and midline with midline (MM; z=4.18), induced loss of ball possession by error of the ball carrier / defender’s intervention. Finally, it was evident that City’s goals (Fgl z=4.63) were induced by the ball being played between the offensive line of the attacking team and the empty zone (opponent goalkeeper) of the defending team. Besides contributing to the existing gap of scientific understanding of patterns of play in Manchester City’s game, these findings shall also provide a benchmark for comparisons in future research and also a scientific foundation to discuss football match analysis.