Argentinian young striker Julian Alvarez became the first footballer ever to win the World Championship, the Champions League, the Premier League and the FA Cup in the same season. It only took six months.
– He was an important player for City in his own role. He could stunt Erling Haaland always when there was a need and in addition to that as well Kevin de Bruyne. In addition, Álvarez was able to play together with Haaland and always succeeded well after being on the field at the same time, says ‘s football expert Miika Nuutinen.
Álvarez, who has scored 78 goals in 191 games, is a phenomenal trophy magnet. The 23-year-old forward already has 12 football trophies in his list of awards. More may be coming soon, as City are still playing for the club world championship and the UEFA Super Cup title.
– That’s just the way it goes, that good players end up in good environments. Álvarez is much more than just a good soccer player. He is unique in his player profile, it’s really hard to even compare him to anyone else.
Expert Nuutinen thinks that every coach would like the versatile Álvarez in his team.
– He can play smoothly in many different playing positions and perform well with many players of different profiles. A smart player always makes things around him look better. This was also seen in the World Cup when he was stung Lionel Messi’s side by side, and things got dark immediately, reminds Nuutinen.
Álvarez has a big future at City
In the FIFA World Cup tournament, Álvarez was the mainstay of champion Argentina, but in Manchester City he has had to be labeled as a substitute for the time being.
– When coming from another continent Pep Guardiola’s to the team, then it takes time to adapt to the game system and everything else. After reading Guardiola’s comments during the season, it is safe to assume that Álvarez has a big future at City, sees the football expert.
Álvarez emerged on Saturday in Istanbul as the 11th player in the elite club of football players who have won World Cup gold and the Champions League (or former European Cup) in the same season.
Álvarez joined Manchester City last summer from Argentinian side River Plate. He played in a total of 49 matches for City during the season and scored 17 goals in them, being City’s second best scorer, although he had to spend his back side on the bench in the finals of both the Champions League and the FA Cup.
– He has been allowed to get used to and mature in Haaland’s shadow, and there has been no external pressure. Pepi’s teams are extremely collective in their playing, and many other players there have also had a year to get used to the patterns, after which the players have taken on a bigger role. There have been such examples in the City at least once Riyad Mahrez, Jack Grealish and João Cancelo.
In the Argentina shirt, the small, 170-centimeter striker took the place of Argentina’s number one striker at the World Cup from a few years older, representing Inter Lautaro from Martinez.
Álvarez is faster than Martinez, more energetic, better at moving behind the lines. He brings a threat with his constant movement. He has also shown that he can finish, which is the most important attribute of a striker.
A physically exceptional player
– He runs extraordinary distances and speeds in matches. Through this, Álvarez can bring an infinite amount to the team’s pressing play. His value comes to the fore, for example, in the fact that neither Messi nor Haaland enjoy pressing. Álvarez can at best do half of their defensive work, says Nuutinen.
Coach Lionel Scaloni has always relied on Álvarez, who has collected seven complete hits in the 20 international matches he has played. In the World Cup tournament in Qatar, he appeared in seven competitive games, scoring four goals and providing one assist. In the World Cup semi-finals, Alvarez scored two goals and assisted one when Croatia lost 3–0. In the World Cup final, the top player born in 2000 played 103 minutes against France.
Álvarez is the first Argentine to win the World Cup gold, the Champions League and the South American Club Championship (Copa Libertadores). Before him, only four players from his continent had been able to achieve this three-triple, all Brazilians; Ronaldinho, Cafú, Dida and Roque Junior.
Goal soccer website In the current ranking of the Golden Ball trophy (Ballon d’Or), Álvarez is surprisingly in the top-10 list, even though he played an average of 20 minutes per City match on the bench last season.
In his first season in Europe, the Argentinian striker proved to be a very effective player and at the same time an ideal striker for Pep Guardiola’s system. It is clear that a quality player in the prime of his career must be given more responsibility in the future. Álvarez’s place is not on the bench.
– Guardiola has not cheated many top teams in his coaching career. However, would the big innovation of the City coach next season be that he would play Haaland and Álvarez at the same time, and possibly even de Bruyne, thinks expert Nuutinen.