"It was a masterclass" - Premier League forward glows with praise about Manchester City's performance

While Manchester City and Pep Guardiola are lauded for their domination of English football, there are many that have put down their rousing success to a mere available of incredible resources.

The aforementioned statement especially applies in the latter’s case, as several critics strongly believe that the Catalan would be found out at a club that was not a financial superpower.

Right from his unforgettable spell at Barcelona, many sceptics have held the opinion that the 51-year-old has always taken the easy way out, instead of managing a team that was in dire need of a rebuild.

Amidst this discourse, what tends to go under the radar is how Guardiola and City’s signature brand of football is what separates them from the rest.

After all, the likes of Roberto Mancini and Manuel Pellegrini also had access to all the same resources Pep Guardiola did.

However, the pair only won the Premier League once with the Sky Blues and failed to create the dynasty that the current City boss has at the club.

The Catalan tactician sits only behind the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson as the manager with the highest number of Premier League titles.

With four domestic crowns to his name in the past six seasons, the decorated coach sits above some of the division’s most revered masterminds in Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho in terms of league title wins.

While some may continue to speculate what makes Guardiola and this City side special, the difference maker seems to be that the side play a style of football that has always been ahead of its time.

Michail Antonio, who recently went up against this City side in their 2-0 defeat at the London Stadium gave an insight into the side’s near-perfect tactical setup.

“Their system is liquid. It's liquid. It can't be contained.

"When I say to you, it's that they're rotating everywhere.

"[Joao] Cancelo's popping up in midfield, Kyle Walker playing midfield, then [Jack] Grealish would be out wide,” he revealed in the latest episode of The Footballers’ Football Podcast on BBC Sounds.

The Jamaican international continued, “Then Bernardo [Silva] would be inside him, so the full-backs can't come and mark and get tight.

"It was a masterclass. It's just one of those things where you've got to put your hands up and say they were unbelievable.”

While there is no denying that City are one of the most cash-rich clubs in Europe, it is also indisputable that the way in which they approach the game is what makes them the gold standard for the rest in England.

The particular game Antonio reference featured a debut double for new-boy Erling Haaland - one from the penalty spot and another from the edge of the box.