Manchester City are a team that are renowned for being technically superior to most sides in the world.

However, Jose Mourinho claimed Manchester City's "physicality" in the 2022/2023 season is the prime reason why they were finally able to win the Champions League.

When Pep Guardiola was appointed in 2016, City had one of the shortest teams in the Premier League.

The likes of David Silva, Ilkay Gundogan, Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero were all quite diminutive yet players who did not shy away from pressing and getting stuck into challenges.

However, since the start of their treble-winning season, it seems like while Manchester City have not compromised on the technical qualities of their players, they have placed a special emphasis on their physical capabilities.

Nowadays, City have a team that has a whole host of technicians but also players that can bully opposition due to their sheer stature.

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Rodri is perhaps the finest example of a player who marries incredible physicality with sublime technique.

Similarly, Josko Gvardiol is a brilliant technician, who thrives with the ball at his feet in tight areas but at the same time, the Premier League's physicality has never seemed to be a factor that has bogged him down.

As a result, it is difficult for teams in England and across Europe to gain any marginal gains when facing this City side.

The blend of impeccable technique, footballing intelligence and tremendous athleticism that they possess makes them a special side.

Such traits can also be associated with the likes of Real Madrid and Arsenal - two teams that are up there amongst the very best in the world.

On the Rio Ferdinand Presents YouTube channel, Owen Hargreaves discussed another Manchester City player's unique strength and that was none other than Erling Haaland.

"The thing is he is world-class, so he is hard to stop. That's why you can only do it if you kind of focus in on the details. The problem is that the guy is crazy quick, he's crazy strong. You can't really outstrength him because he's too strong but what you have got to do because he makes amazing runs."

"Before he sets off on his run, you just got to bump him. Just get him off because him and Kevin [De Bruyne] has got this crazy chemistry, so he knows as soon as he sets off but nobody's bumping him as he kind of gets in his run because that gets him off stride."

Rio Ferdinand claimed he would nudge Haaland and try to surprise him to gain an edge on him if they faced each other as a means to unsettle him.

Erling Haaland is well and truly a brute on the pitch A massive reason why the PS375,000-a-week man seems like such a challenge to defend against is due to his remarkable strength.

Haaland seems to effortlessly be able to brush past some of the strongest defenders in world football.

For instance, in Manchester City's 3-1 win against Brighton & Hove Albion in October 2022, the Norwegian and Adam Webster went for the same ball that was booted up the pitch by Ederson Moraes.

However, it was Webster that ended up on the floor while Haaland tapped in the ball into an empty net.

Similarly, when the 24-year-old came up against Ruben Dias in the Champions League in the 2020/2021 season, he barged past him with ease.

The two-time Premier League winner even held off Joachim Andersen with ease to score his third goal in City's 4-2 victory against Crystal Palace two years.

There are countless examples of Haaland using his body to his advantage to dominate defenders.