Pep Guardiola's first win as manager came with Manchester City's victory over Chelsea, and he made his point with two substitutions at halftime and an unconventional starting eleven.
On Thursday at Stamford Bridge, the Premier League champions managed to win by a narrow margin of 1-0. The game's sole goal was scored by Jack Grealish and Riyad Mahrez, who came off the bench to begin the match. Guardiola decided to alter his team's formation with a tactical strategy that saw Cancelo line up on the right side and Rodri fill a hybrid role in defence and midfield, and Man City were completely outplayed in the first half. At halftime, Guardiola switched Rico Lewis and Manuel Akanji for Kyle Walker and Joao Cancelo as a result.
This plan was abandoned at halftime for the reasons given by Guardiola to Sky Sports: "We didn't play well in the first half. Joao, who was playing outside of his position, has my admiration and my gratitude for his effort. We made the decision to set up a lineup with players that would change how we played if they chose to play five at the back. We were far better in every aspect in the second half. For us, the outcome is significant.
Despite Chelsea's domination in the first half, during which they hit the post and successfully overcame early difficulties due to injuries, Guardiola's team have demonstrated a useful instinct for achieving successful outcomes. At the interval, they were fortunate to still be tied.
The third round of the FA Cup will be played this Sunday at the Etihad Stadium between Manchester City and Chelsea. Arsenal, who currently leads the Premier League, are now five points behind Man City.