Pep Guardiola confirmed that the decision to start Kevin De Bruyne on the bench for Manchester City's visit to Tottenham Hotspur was a tactical call.
The Belgian midfielder dropped to the bench after starting in the FA Cup victory over Arsenal last weekend. The 31-year-old had started in 18 Premier League matches prior to the clash with Spurs, but Guardiola named him among the substitutes.
City travelled to north London on Sunday looking to cut Arsenal's lead at the top of the Premier League to just two points, with the Gunners having lost 1-0 to Everton on Saturday afternoon. Guardiola made four changes to the side that last played in the Premier League, with De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and Aymeric Laporte all dropping to the bench.