Will Arrival of Wilfried Bony Allow Man City to Refind Their 4-4-2 Identity?

Cast your minds back to the opening match of Manuel Pellegrini's tenure at Manchester City. A 4-0 victory over Newcastle United showcased all that the Chilean was asked to bring to the Etihad Stadium: free-flowing attacking football with a defensive balance and tactical intuition.

Despite failing to win a trophy of note before his time in Manchester, Pellegrini was a revered tactician. His clear understanding of the game and ability to apply on the training ground had those in the know purring when City locked in his signature.

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His debut season showcased his talents, hauling in the Premier League title for 2013-14 by allowing his players to express themselves, recruiting excellent summer signings and getting the tactical decisions spot on. Again, we look back to the match against Newcastle: The opening goal saw Edin Dzeko cross from the left for David Silva (of all people) to head home.

It was a 4-4-2 base formation, but the player roles were open to interpretation. Each were top-class players and were encouraged to drift—just so long as the balance of the side was maintained by others filling the gaps left. That's how you end up with Silva heading home a Dzeko cross.

But in 2014-15, Pellegrini's philosophy and the team's form has drifted a little. Injuries and absences haven't helped—at one stage or another, the Chilean has been without Dzeko, Sergio Aguero, Stevan Jovetic, Yaya Toure, David Silva, Samir Nasri and Fernando—and the poor form of Fernandinho, Jesus Navas, Vincent Kompany has compounded the difficulties. The summer window didn't go anywhere close to as well the previous one either, with expensive signing Eliaquim Mangala really struggling so far.

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There has been absolutely no consistency up front, and with a plethora of injuries plaguing his every team selection, the 4-4-2 has been more of a rarity than Pellegrini would like. The by-product is Silva in the No. 10 role—lovely—but that's not where City established their 2013-14 success.

The signing of Wilfried Bony is very exciting for this reason; he may just be the man to bring consistency to the forward line and therefore a return to its roots for the team.

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Last season, when the Ivorian signed for Swansea City, he was expected to link up with Michu in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with both interchanging and dropping into each other's positions. On paper it was a golden combination, as Bony had shown during his time in the Eredivisie that he was happy to slot back into a No. 10-esque role and let the play flow through him.

Yes, he can carry a team as a lone striker, but he seems at his best when linking with a partner. He has the intuitive tactical understanding Pellegrini demands from a forward—he wouldn't have signed him if he didn't think his brain was up to it.

With Bony proving himself decidedly more durable than both Dzeko and Jovetic, the Ivorian will be handed the chance to make the second striker slot alongside Aguero his own and to build a relationship with the Argentine. Given how intelligent he's shown himself to be in space and combining with midfielders and forwards, expect him to hit the ground running.

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For many teams and managers it's a case of building from the back, but one of Pellegrini's first calls in any system is to play with two strikers if possible. He's never undervalued structure, but a free-flowing attacking philosophy has been his trademark for years, harking back to the Juan Roman Riquelme days at Villarreal.

Injuries to his forwards and the need to switch formations as a result, in addition to the loss of Yaya Toure to the Africa Cup of Nations, have meant City have lost their way a little in 2014-15. The introduction of Bony, and by proxy, the re-introduction of the fear factor City usually carry, could spark their season into recovery.

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