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If the strong team sheet Pep Guardiola named was a warning to Birmingham on Sunday, it should have also served as a warning to the players in that starting XI.
There was no rest for Ruben Dias, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva or Joao Cancelo, while Phil Foden, Rodri and Riyad Mahrez also started.
City were ruthless in the first half, with De Bruyne pulling the strings, Mahrez in charming form and Bernardo scoring a double before Phil Foden ensured that Birmingham had no turn back just after half an hour.
Some of those players may have wanted to rest after a busy week that saw victories in all the action at Chelsea and Manchester United, but the response from the majority was exactly what Guardiola would have wanted. He said after the game that he was looking to keep the momentum from those big wins and extend his unbeaten streak to 13 games.
The likes of Mahrez, Bernardo and Cancelo were all influential despite the fact that returning players pose a threat to their place on the team. Guardiola asked them for an answer and got it. Players like Ferran Torres, Kyle Walker and Ilkay Gundogan might have a harder time returning to the starting eleven than they thought.
A player sitting on the bench won’t be too concerned though, as Aleks Zinchenko had 90 minutes to get back on his feet after an impressive week that saw him keep two of the Premier League’s most dangerous wingers quiet: Hakim Ziyech and Marcus Rashford.
Benjamin Mendy was on the left back and while he didn’t have much to do, he didn’t offer many meaningful contributions either.
For one thing, a calm performance is better than a remarkable one for the wrong reasons, and Mendy was probably tasked with staying behind as City focused their attacking and tactical attentions on the right with Joao Cancelo.
Mendy will be disappointed, however, that he had no further influence on the proceedings to persuade Guardiola that he is worthy of regaining the left-back position. With Cancelo in top form and Kyle Walker making a successful comeback, Mendy could find himself in the third option in Guardiola’s thoughts heading into a series of Premier League matches that can help the Blues move up the table where consistency it will be key.
Similarly, Zack Steffen in goal did well at Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford, but his performance against Birmingham won’t have done much to make Guardiola change his mind on his pre-match claim that Ederson is still City’s number one. .
Manchester City ignored the difficulties caused by a Covid-19 outbreak to sweep away Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
First-half goals from Ilkay Gundogan, Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne effectively ended the match before half-time and the hosts could only score a consolation in stoppage time.
This puts the Blues in good hearts ahead of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
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Steffen kept a clean sheet against an unadventurous Birmingham, but was unstable on the rare occasions when the visitors attacked and took relatively simple shots more than once. The American international is still learning in his first season in English football and this FA Cup career should serve him well.
However, Ederson won’t worry about losing his place.
Altogether, Guardiola got everything he wanted from this third round tie. Maintaining the momentum he wanted in a crucial series of matches, he was able to rest several key players while others seized their opportunity. And for those who haven’t taken advantage of that opportunity, Guardiola has an answer on whether they are prepared for a longer career in the first team.
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