3 Takeaways from Atlanta United’s first 3 games

2. There is a Guardiola-esque flair to the attack

Inverted wingers, narrow and attacking fullbacks, and no defined striker. These are the early elements of Heinze’s attacking style, and they are remarkably similar to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. George Bello and Brooks Lennon are heavy attacking threats down the wing, and Lennon, specifically, even finds himself tucked into the midfield above Santiago Sosa.

Heinze also appears to prefer inverted wingers so that they can shoot with their preferred foot after cutting inside. This leaves Jake Mulraney as the most viable option on the right side. Mulraney typically lined up as a left wingback last year, meant to cross the ball into the striker, and now he finds himself shooting several times during a match. It is an awkward change, and he has not provided a goal as of yet, but preseason matches showed how lethal Mulraney can be from this new position when in form.