This was the game for Pep to take risks as Man City juggle another Treble tilt

Manchester City had a game just like this last year. Around the same time of the season, too. Also sandwiched in between two potentially defining matches.

Sheffield United in the FA Cup. A semi-final at Wembley but relatively kind all the same. A chance for Pep Guardiola to make his changes, offer some rest to Rodri after Bayern Munich away and days before a title-tilting shellacking of Arsenal.

Sheffield United is what was different that season to all the others. The semi-final stages were Guardiola’s kryptonite, always in the middle of other huge occasions and City’s squad – packed full of quality but not depth in numbers – couldn’t cope once Guardiola rang the changes, losing three of them on the bounce. It was usually the day the Treble died.

Not last year and the freshness bought that day undoubtedly had a bearing on what would follow. Luton, in between a double date with Real Madrid, had that distinct feel. Teams who win the lot need afternoons like this, sticking the cruise control on. City ended it top of the Premier League for the first time since November.

Rodri complained of tiredness in midweek, not something he is prone to do, and was promptly given the afternoon off. Just as at Wembley. Bernardo Silva joined him for a jog late on, with City two goals clear, although the pair ended up just standing to watch on the sideline, celebrating wildly when the mesmeric Jeremy Doku passed in their fourth with three minutes left.

Matheus Nunes started only his seventh league game for the club, Mateo Kovacic was again involved before he reverts back to the bench in the weeks to come and everybody is back fit, thundering in City’s second on the hour. Rico Lewis was trusted, Julian Alvarez was given a nod, which is becoming