A year ago
Even though Manchester City has won the Premier League once again, their season is far from over as they still have their sights set on the FA Cup and the Champions League.
The PA news agency examines its schedule over the upcoming weeks here.
Pep Guardiola's final two Premier League games: how will he approach them?
City can afford to loosen up for their next two league games, which are away at Brentford and Brighton, now that the Premier League title chase is finished, before turning their focus to their two finals.
Guardiola signaled he intended to lessen the pressure on his key players by starting most of them on the bench for Sunday's dead rubber against Chelsea. However, it is equally important to maintain players in shape and avoid rust.
The starting lineups for the two Premier League games that came before the first leg of the Champions League semifinal against Real Madrid could provide some insight into his thoughts. Guardiola used his entire starting lineup from Madrid in the games against West Ham and Leeds, although only one player—Erling Haaland—started both. A comparable strategy may involve having half of the first-choice team start the first game and the other half start the second.
Are there any potential injuries?
In terms of team fitness, City has enjoyed a strong season with few injuries. Their only injured player at the moment is defender Nathan Ake, who has a hamstring issue.
The international from the Netherlands has had a good season, but time is limited. To have a chance of starting against Manchester United at Wembley or Inter Milan in Istanbul, he could need to play against either Brighton or Brentford.
What strategy will City use to reach the finals?
Although it is obviously difficult to make predictions, it is noteworthy that Guardiola selected the same team for City's three most important games in recent weeks, including the crucial Premier League match against Arsenal and both legs of the match against Real Madrid.
It appears he has discovered his perfect big-match XI because of the great performance levels in those games.
Total Comments: 0