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Pep Guardiola has settled on his best Manchester City lineup in the past five games that City have played. As City have gained real momentum, a host of players in the City squad have barely featured. Throughout Pep Guardiola’s reign as Manchester City manager, we have seen this pattern in team selection emerge late in a season. Today, City face Southampton in the first FA Cup semi-final at Wembley. Today’s match could be an opportunity for several of Manchester City’s fringe, or forgotten, depending on your point of view, players to make an impression on a big occasion. For some, depending on what team Pep Guardiola selects, it may be their last opportunity to make an impact this season.
Pep Guardiola touched on the mood of his entire Manchester City squad and that fatigue may influence his selection for today’s FA Cup semi-final.
Speaking yesterday ahead of Manchester City’s FA Cup semi-final against Southampton, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was asked about the mood of his entire squad. He explained that the players that have missed out on selection aren’t happy, however due to fatigue setting in amongst the City starters, they may get an opportunity today. He explained: “It’s good. Players [who] don’t play much aren’t happy; in the last games, long weeks, I rotate less because in the last five, six games we conceded one goal.”
“With the Arsenal game and the rest, we’ve been quite good. Always I try to involve everyone but when I arrive in the last part of the season, always I try to – when I’m pretty sure in the last four or five games the team, the vibe is good – rotate less and make less changes.”
“But now I have to think because people were tired and come from [spending] energy, a little drained, and physios say, ‘Be careful with that player, that player for historical and potential injury’. If one player is injured now, it’s gone, it’s over. And now I want to have players available for Everton, until the end.”
If City’s squad players start today’s FA Cup semi-final against Southampton they must put their best foot forward.
There are two schools of thought in terms of what starting eleven Pep Guardiola should select today. One is that Manchester City should go in with as close to their best eleven as possible. Southampton are in form and are a very good team in their own right. They enter today’s match having won 16 of their past 20 matches and are unbeaten during that time. The Saints will be no pushover at Wembley. Perhaps Pep Guardiola will select the strongest starting eleven he can for today’s FA Cup semi-final.
However, the signs that the starters at Manchester City are fatigued are there. They have just played two big matches against Arsenal and Burnley. At Turf Moor, you could see the signs of fatigue. Perhaps today is the day for those players to be saved in case of emergency. There is also merit to that idea.
Players such as Nathan Ake, John Stones, Rico Lewis, Mateo Kovacic, Nico, Tijjani Reijnders, Phil Foden, Savinho, and Omar Marmoush have barely played of late. They could be given an opportunity to start at Wembley. None of the players mentioned have featured prominently recently, so they will lack match sharpness. However, Pep Guardiola cannot keep relying on the same group of players. The Manchester City manager said why in his statement above. So today may be an opportunity for players who could be unhappy to show what they can offer in the run-in.
Final thoughts.
Pep Guardiola’s statement on the mood of his squad was interesting, to say the least. It is natural for players to be unhappy when they aren’t playing. However, a host of Manchester City’s squad players haven’t made an impression when given the opportunity to play. If they are given that chance against Southampton today, they have to take it. Manchester City and Pep Guardiola need everyone to contribute at some point over the closing stages of this season. Today may be the day for the fringe players to make an impact while City can rest their stars for what lies ahead.
