HEADING into the Champions League final last May,

one or both of Fernandinho and Rodri had started 59 of Manchester City’s 60 previous games. Then Pep Guardiola surprised everybody by opting to use Ilkay Gundogan as his sitting midfield instead. That meant Gundogan, City’s top scorer, was the furthest midfielder from goal. Selecting the right sitter is vitally important. It’s imperative for that player to stop all the service into Romelu Lukaku’s feet today. It’s like the prodigal son has returned with Lukaku. He is back to show why Chelsea should never have let him leave in the first place and he’s proving people wrong, each and every week. He now holds the ball up brilliantly and looks like scoring whenever he shoots. City need to get bodies around him and block the supply line from Chelsea’s midfield. Rodri is probably the best player for stopping balls getting into Lukaku, in front of a probable centre back pairing of Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake. It’s also important that Guardiola’s full backs do not leave City exposed to counter-attacks. Last week Southampton’s Nathan Redmond was drifting into the space left by Kyle Walker. If one of City’s full backs flies forward, the other should be staying back, mindful of the quick-thinking threat of Chelsea. City cannot leave the back door open.