In the last two summers, City have postponed much of the rebuild; two of the six recruits in that time are now in the band of 30-somethings. And while Guardiola said it was harder to be stable defensively without a quartet of centre backs and two holding midfielders, arguably he only has one: Mateo Kovacic does not covet that role.

Manchester City, the reigning Premier League champions, are experiencing an uncharacteristic slump in form. The Citizens, under the guidance of the legendary Pep Guardiola, have stumbled in recent matches,

Match ThoughtsPep Guardiola’s Manchester City are in a rough patch, but their manager isn’t giving much away. Heading into Sunday’s clash at