Did what I thought was the best decision to face Chelsea, admits Pep Guardiola

While many expected Pep Guardiola to make a few shock changes to his starting eleven, the Spaniard responded by not playing a single defensive midfielder. That left Ilkay Gundogan as the lone holding midfielder and the German was overrun by the Chelsea midfield in the end. While City did change things in the second half, it was too late by then with the Blues scoring just before the half-time break.

That combined with a lot of sterile possession in the second and Chelsea’s resolute defensive shape meant that Manchester City and Guardiola struggled to break down Thomas Tuchel’s side. Yet despite questions and criticism about his lineup, Guardiola admitted that he picked the team that he thought would give them the best possible chance. The Spaniard also added that the ambition to win the trophy hasn’t gone and they’ll be back in the future.

"I did what I thought was the best decision [on his team selection]. Kevin de Bruyne got injured but that happens in this competition and in these games. We needed everyone. The ambition now is to rest but then prepare for the next season. It was the first time we were at this stage. Hopefully we will be here again in the future," Guardiola said to BT Sport.

"It has been an exceptional season for us. It was a tight game. We had chances. We were brilliant in the second half, we were brave and we could not convert the chances as they were so strong. The players were exceptional. We come back maybe one day again!"