Pep Guardiola has suggested Tony Pulis’s Stoke side have inspired Premier League clubs to become more direct and place greater emphasis on set pieces. The Manchester City head coach says he will not change his principles but is open to turning Omar Marmoush and Erling Haaland into a more classical strike partnership.
City travel to Swansea on Wednesday night in the Carabao Cup fourth round, where they will face a Championship side eager to keep the ball. Long throw-ins and corners are becoming increasingly important in the Premier League. Pulis used them to his advantage during his Stoke tenure in the late-2000s, helping the side defy the odds in the top flight.
