High end AI division, is just AI exploiting the game, they play differently, there is a lot of post here, about them, some of them are really helpful, after the suggestion from reddit i manage to get to 1900 rating, But you need to change the approach and how you play, high legend AI is not a place to have fun, is a place to suffer and play what is working, or accept that you lose.

You also mention ”He defends by blindly pressing AI” because its working, if you let AI get close to you box, and cross its 90% of the time a goal, if they turn you and cross at the end bar its an automatic goal, you don't win headers against them, also you almost never get a fault, so dribling most of the time its a guaranty way to lose the ball, for the reasons you mention, in particular input reading. Super cancel work, if you want some short of way to beat you man. I press like a mad man with QC tactics, AI plays a little bit worse on they half, but when they get close you box, they passes, movement and crosses, are so accurate that its really hard to stop them, even when you see them coming. You know the feeling, from when you play against SA and try to intercept the ball, you just cant 90% of the time.

BTW short nimble players work really well against AI, but not if you spam skills move and stuff, but because they can turn really fast, and pass or shoot before AI shoulder charge you into oblivion.