The opening chapter of the Netflix documentary on Manchester City's 2022-2023 season begins with a significant moment in football history: the signing of Erling Haaland on May 24, 2022. As the documentary details, Haaland was the most coveted striker in Europe, and his arrival at City was not just a strategic addition but also a sentimental one, linking back to his father's legacy at the club.
The preseason kicked off on July 22, 2022, setting the stage for integrating new talents like Julián Álvarez, Haaland, and Ortega into the team. The documentary captures the intensity and focus of these early training sessions, essential for melding individual talents into a cohesive unit under Pep Guardiola's guidance.
The team's first major challenge, as recounted in the documentary, was the FA Community Shield match against Liverpool on July 30, where City suffered a 3-1 defeat. Guardiola's reflection in the locker room sheds light on the complexities of decision-making in high-pressure situations. "When I have to make decisions it's complicated, when you're fresh in legs, you are in mind", Guardiola noted, underscoring the psychological and physical demands of top-level football.
This match highlighted a key narrative of the season, adjusting team dynamics to fit Haaland's style of play. As the documentary illustrates, City had not previously relied on a traditional centre-forward, which meant the entire team's approach had to evolve. "We have to adapt to him to get the best out of everyone", Guardiola explained in the series, signaling a shift towards maximizing Haaland's striking prowess.
Haaland's first match in Premier League
The documentary vividly captures Haaland's Premier League debut against West Ham on August 7. Haaland himself reflected on his performance, saying, "It was even better to score and make that celebration and enjoy the moment." This match, as seen in the first episode of the series, was also a moment for tactical validation, with Guardiola noting at halftime, "Erling is moving well between the centre-backs, in the final third we will find the gap".
Kevin De Bruyne’s observation in the documentary, "Haaland has made scoring seem easy", encapsulates the immediate impact of the Norwegian striker. The adaptation was evident in City's first home game of the season, where Guardiola’s tactics, as discussed in the documentary, were effectively put into practice.
The documentary also delves into City's third away game against Newcastle, where Guardiola's pre-match comments, "they are going to be aggressive and well-organized, the same intensity and rhythm as the last matches", set the stage for a challenging encounter that ended in a 3-3 draw.
August 25 brought the Champions League draw, placing City with Dortmund, Sevilla, and Copenhagen, a reminder of their previous season's elimination in overtime against Real Madrid. The documentary captures the tension and resolution of these matches, especially the dramatic turnaround against Crystal Palace in the Premier League, where City recovered from a 0-2 deficit to win 4-2, highlighted by Haaland's hat trick. "When you score the first, the stadium is chaos, and many opponents break down", Bernardo Silva commented in the documentary, highlighting the psychological edge provided by Haaland’s presence.
Following the match against Crystal Palace, Guardiola’s focus on set-pieces in training sessions, as shown in the documentary, demonstrated his meticulous attention to detail, crucial for overcoming weaknesses exposed during the game.
As the first episode of the documentary series concludes, it not only chronicles the integration of a world-class striker into a finely tuned team but also sets the narrative for a season of high aspirations and intricate tactical developments under Guardiola’s stewardship. The documentary serves as a testament to the challenges and triumphs of adapting to new dynamics, marking the beginning of a historic journey towards a treble-winning season.