If Pep Guardiola is to win this, then, he is clearly going to do it his way. Manchester City’s lineup is pure, undiluted Guardiola, the very essence of what he believes to be soccer’s highest form: a team made up, almost entirely, of attacking midfielders.
There is an attacking midfielder at left back, three attacking midfielders where you would expect to find them, in midfield, and two more attacking midfielders in, well, attack. That means there is no room for Fernandinho, so often the calming influence on this team, or for his understudy, Rodri. Guardiola has decided to look forward, rather than back, to trust his players to hurt Chelsea more than Chelsea can hurt them.