De Bruyne surprised Burnley by threading the ball through the defense in the free-kιϲk, opting for a unique approach instead of the typical shot at goal or a cross. Alvarez seized the opportunity, scoring his second goal in the eventual 3-1 victory against Vincent Kompany’s team, the former captain of Manchester City.

“Yesterday, we worked on it (the set-piece) a bit,” De Bruyne told TNT Sports. “In the beginning, I didn’t really want to do it but then the guy who was with Julian moved to him a bit, so opened the space for Julian to go into. “I didn’t have to put it around, I just had to put it straight with the right speed, and then Julian does the rest. We practiced this yesterday for Burnley but it can work against other teams. You can see Pep is delighted with the staff because if you pull it off, they are happy.”

Guardiola expressed his joy at the goal, rushing from his seat in the dugout to congratulate his assistant coaches Jack Wilson and Carles Vincens.

He emphasized the significance of set-pieces in contemporary football, citing instances such as winning in the FA Cup at Spurs with a corner and the recent free-kιϲk goal. Guardiola attributed the success to Carles and Jack, stating that he is not actively involved in set-pieces due to their expertise and his time constraints. He credited Carles and Jack for orchestrating the strategy, acknowledging their crucial role in the execution, from Kevin’s precise pass to Julian’s well-timed movement and finish.

Following their victory against Burnley, City remaι𝚗s five points adrift of the Premier League leaders, Liverpool, with a game in hand. Their upcoming match is an away fixture against Brentford scheduled for Monday. Notably, Brentford achieved a rare feat last season by securing a double over City, triumphing 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium and 1-0 in their home fixture on the season’s final day.