Pep Guardiola eased the pressure on his side by saying he wants his charges to simply focus on playing their natural game in the second leg of their EFL Cup final against Newcastle on Wednesday, which they lead 2-0 on aggregate. “We have the chance to make our fifth [EFL Cup] final in ten years. [We just need to] play our game for our people and our fans,” Guardiola told the media on Saturday.

However, he admitted that despite holding a two-goal cushion, they cannot afford to take their opponents lightly. “I would prefer to start 2-0 up, but I know the many times we have played Newcastle, the pride they have, so we need to be prepared,” said Guardiola.