Pep Guardiola's substitutions at Southampton in the FA Cup not only sealed a valuable quarter final win, but also confirmed the manager's thoughts on his strongest Manchester City XI.
Guardiola had made changes to his side in search of a first win in three games, bringing in Gabriel Jesus, Raheem Sterling and Ilkay Gundogan - who had all been left on the bench at Crystal Palace. However, it was the eleven players who finished the game that give a better indication of what Guardiola feels is his strongest team.
With nine 'finals' in the Premier League left, a testing Champions League quarter-final with Atletico Madrid, and the small matter of an FA Cup semi-final with Liverpool, Guardiola will need his full squad after the international break. What's becoming clear, though, is that the manager has a strong idea of his best XI that will be the focus of City's hunt for a treble.
