Guardiola hinted that the rotation may not end there this season.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey cannot play when this amount of games, will be every three days, three days, with the same players. Will not be possible. Have to manage good substitutions and everyone has to make a step forward.\u201d \u2013 Pep Guardiola, speaking after the game<\/p>\n
FODEN FLOPS, 90 MINS FOR CHERKI<\/p>\n
Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the lack of match rhythm for the \u2018reserves\u2019, it was a bit of a slog \u2013 especially in a scrappy first half.<\/p>\n
No one epitomised that struggle more than Phil Foden (\u00a38.0m), who toiled as one of City\u2019s two \u201910s\u2019 and was hooked before the hour mark. Even a switch of flanks in the first half didn\u2019t improve his fortunes.<\/p>\n
\u201cA question of\u00a0time. He will be back with the talent he is.\u201d \u2013 Pep Guardiola on Phil Foden\u2019s performance and form<\/p>\n
Omar Marmoush (\u00a38.3m) didn\u2019t impress in Haaland\u2019s stead, either, spurning a couple of decent chances.<\/p>\n
Even the man of the moment, Rayan Cherki (\u00a36.4m), couldn\u2019t drag City up by their bootstraps. He had five shots but, to sum up Southampton\u2019s defensive resilience in one stat, four of them were blocked before they could even trouble the \u2018keeper.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo tired at the end because he made a lot of\u00a0effort.\u201d \u2013 Pep Guardiola on Rayan Cherki<\/p>\n
In the end, Guardiola sent for the cavalry with Savinho (\u00a36.9m), Jeremy Doku (\u00a36.4m), Haaland, O\u2019Reilly and Bernardo Silva (\u00a36.2m) thrown on. City turned the screw as the game went on. The in-form Doku in particular made an impact, and it was his deflected shot that restored parity after Saints had taken a shock lead.<\/p>\n
Nico Gonzalez (\u00a35.9m) secured victory with a thunderbolt of an effort from distance.<\/p>\n
\u201cReally good. I can\u2019t complain. It\u2019s not easy\u00a0when you don\u2019t play regularly and after playing, it\u2019s not easy. But they were good.\u201d \u2013 Pep Guardiola on his second string<\/p>\n
So, what did we learn? Not a great deal, just a reminder that Guardiola very much has a favoured XI at the moment, and that few of the peripheral squad members would have done anything to shake that conviction on Saturday.<\/p>\n
DOUBLE GAMEWEEK 36 ANNOUCEMENT AWAITED<\/p>\n
And those City regulars will likely all return to the starting XI in Gameweek 35.<\/p>\n
By that point, we\u2019ll almost certainly have a confirmation of who City will play in their final Double Gameweek of the season.<\/p>\n
Fixtures against Crystal Palace (originally in Gameweek 31) and Bournemouth (originally in Gameweek 37) will have to slot into the midweeks after Gameweeks 36 and 37, whichever way round that will be.<\/p>\n
Is the ordering below a clue on the City website, even though dates have yet to be announced?<\/p>\n
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