News just in: Pep Guardiola still has a few tactical tricks up his sleeve. The scary thought for the rest of the Premier League must be that Guardiola, who looked and sounded like a man ready to pack it in and head for the golf course earlier this season, is finding fresh motivation in putting Manchester City back together. Enjoy it while it lasts, you can imagine him saying to his rivals, but just be aware that I have revenge planned for anyone who dared to wonder if I was finished when we were losing 4-0 at home against Tottenham.
It is, of course, worth pointing out that it is too soon to assume that a new imperial era is taking shape. City are deservedly through to their third consecutive FA Cup final, a date with Crystal Palace secured thanks to a well-crafted 2-0 win against Nottingham Forest, but Guardiola still has damage to repair. Ever the perfectionist, he will look back at his team’s performance against Forest and conclude that there were moments when this semi-final could have slipped from their grasp. Anthony Elanga had a glorious chance to make it 1-1 early in the second half, only to miss from close range, while City will know that they were fortunate not to concede after going 2-0 up.
