sport news Will Chelsea's hire-and-fire policy give 'Sarri-ball' enough time to work? 

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Like Maurizio Sarri, Pep Guardiola made mistakes and had days to forget in his first season, too.

He lost 4-0 at Everton, for example. He seemed to think Sergio Aguero was over the hill. He underestimated the physicality in England and failed to address Claudio Bravo's flaws.

Manchester City gave Guardiola time – and money – and are now reaping the rewards. Sadly for Sarri, he is unlikely to be afforded the same luxury at hire-and-fire Chelsea.

Sarri has won more matches than Guardiola did with City at the same stage in his debut season in England (28 out of 43 compared to 27), though that statistic does not tell the full story.

Guardiola went on to tweak things, both big and small, while Sarri seems the stubborn type.

His repeated Ross Barkley-Mateo Kovacic substitutions show his persistence, as does his use of Jorginho, though that predictability has become a problem. It screams of a lack of Plan B.

There was also the decision to replace Cesar Azpilicueta in the 82nd minute of their FA Cup fifth-round clash with Davide Zappacosta, despite them trailing 2-0 to Manchester United.

It was downright bizarre, a like-for-like substitution when chasing the game, while Callum Hudson-Odoi and Olivier Giroud stayed sat on the bench at Stamford Bridge.

It remains to be seen whether Sarri will adapt his tactics over time. City played a similarly slick passing game at the start of Guardiola's reign but they were never as predictable as this.

At the same stage of the season in 2016-17, City were

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