Manchester United and Manchester City have each won nine points from a possible nine at the start of the Premier League season. Their ability to find the back of the net – United have scored six times, City nine – has been key to their early success, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Sergio Aguero proving essential for their respective teams.
But what are their specific roles under their new managers and how do the two strikers compare?
Ibrahimovic and Aguero are both extremely intelligent players without the ball, but their movement out of possession differs. Under the guidance of Mourinho, Ibrahimovic focuses on trying to control the centre of the pitch, often dropping deep but rarely drifting wide.
Ibrahimovic tends to stay central
Aguero is different: the Argentina international regularly starts in central positions before making lateral runs towards the flanks, with Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva, Nolito or Raheem Sterling shifting into the space in the middle. Aguero's movement means he asks questions of many different opponents throughout a game, be they centre-halves, full-backs or central midfielders.
Aguero drifts wide
Defensive duties
The pair's defensive responsibilities are also pretty distinct. Ibrahimovic has a very specific remit, acting as United's first line of defence by taking up a position about 10 yards inside the opposition's half. In the clip below, for instance, the Swede is tasked with stopping any Hull player carrying the ball upfield, before standing his ground in a carefully defined area.
Ibrahimovic closes down, but then takes up his set position
Aguero, meanwhile, has more freedom to drop deeper in the defensive phase; City's spearhead often moves back inside his own half, or on other occasions looks to press from the front to close off passing angles.
Aguero prevents the pass back to the goalkeeper
Build-up play
Ibrahimovic and Aguero both aid their side's pursuit to maintain possession when playing out from the back, but they again do so in different ways. The Red Devils centre-forward tends to check back when his side win the ball, pinning centre-backs behind him and making himself available for a pass to feet. When he receives it, Ibrahimovic will either lay the ball back to a midfielder or turn and invite his team-mates to make attacking runs beyond him.
Ibrahimovic looks for Rooney
The younger, quicker Aguero generally takes a different approach, moving forward when City win the ball in an attempt to force the opposition's defensive line deeper, which in turn opens up space in between the lines for the likes of Silva and De Bruyne. There are certainly times when he does drop off and link the play, but usually only when he has team-mates high up the pitch.
Aguero drops, but only because City already have two players in advanced areas
Managers' views
The roles of Ibrahimovic and Aguero reflect the competing visions of bosses Mourinho and Guardiola. The United manager is more of a traditionalist, asking his charges to fulfil certain duties with and without the ball. Guardiola, conversely, tries to use players' movement to occupy as many defenders as possible, making it easier for his team to apply immediate pressure if possession is lost.
Some of the differences between the strikers' functions may seem subtle, but they are key to understanding how two of the world's top coaches want to play the game.
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