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.
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Meanwhile, Phil Foden was absent from the squad completely, with Guardiola confirming that the England international had been ruled out of the match through illness.
Explaining Foden’s absence, Guardiola said: "He was there at the hotel. But he felt unwell all night – really, really bad."
Guardiola also confirmed that De Bruyne's omission from City's starting XI was tactical - despite the Belgian ace having registered 12 assists in the Premier League this term.
"I am more focused on today than yesterday. Nothing has changed. We have to do our job," Guardiola added before kick-off.
The changes meant that Kyle Walker, Nathan Ake, Julian Alvarez and Bernardo Silva all started for the Blues.
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