For a team that boasts one of the most developed squads in European football, Pep Guardiola's Manchester City were rather disjointed in all of their meetings against Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea last season.
It contributed to all three games against the German's side ending in defeat, starting with the FA Cup semi-final defeat at Wembley, followed by the home loss which delayed them being crowned Premier League champions, and finally the heartbreak suffered in Porto in the Champions League final.
The Catalan boss tried a number of different formations and tactics to try and outfox his German counterpart, but none of his ideas provided solutions and most backfired to devastating effect.
Pep Guardiola and Man City lost all three matches against Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea last term
The most heart-breaking reverse came in the Champions League final defeat in Porto
Very few managers have caused the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss so many headaches with such frequency, with Guardiola admitting before the Champions League final he had been forced into bold changes by Tuchel's Chelsea system.
Defeats to the Blues were even more painful as they robbed City of completing a historic quadruple, although the top-flight champions would still have had to have overcome eventual winners Leicester in the FA Cup final.
The latest meeting between City and Chelsea has been billed as an early clash between the two favourites for this season's Premier League crown.
That however will have only added to the pressure and sleepless nights Guardiola has faced trying to solve the Tuchel problem.
So what can the City boss do differently to try and trump the seemingly new brightest young manager in town? Sportsmail has a look at what options he has at his disposal ahead of their trip to Stamford Bridge on Saturday lunchtime.
What can the Catalan look to change against his German counterpart ahead of this weekend?
Play one of Fernandinho or Rodri
'I got it wrong man. I got it totally wrong. It's a monumental f*** up. A total mess. The biggest f*** up of my life as a coach.'
These were the words of Guardiola as Bayern boss - published in a book called Pep Confidential - after he chose to play four attackers in a Champions League semi-final showdown with Real Madrid in 2013-14.
One wonders however if he would utter similar sentiments if he was given the opportunity regarding his decision to not play a natural holding midfielder in starting XI of the 2021 Champions League final.
Heading into the final, at least one of Fernandinho or Rodri had started in 59 of City's 60 games last season. The only other occasion on which he had not used either the Brazilian or the Spaniard was against Olympiacos in the group stages.
Guardiola started without Fernandinho (left) or Rodri (right) in the Champions League final
His decision to play without at least one of the holding midfielders in Porto was therefore astonishing, and while Ilkay Gundogan had played in a similar position at Borussia Dortmund, it was one that worked against City rather than in their favour.
City failed to exert the sort of control that they had in domestic matches which had seen them collect a third Premier League title in four years, and they largely struggled to wrestle any sort of momentum due to their inferiority in the midfield battle.
'I decided the decision, to have quality players,' Guardiola said. 'Gundogan played many years in this position. To have speed, to find the small players, the quality, the brilliant players, inside, in the middle and between the lines. This was the decision.'
But Gundogan had not excelled in that position over the course of the season, preferring to win the ball higher up the field than having the responsibility of doing so deep in his half, as Jamie O'Hara said on talkSPORT shortly afterwards.
O'Hara said. 'You could see straight away that Chelsea were getting in the pockets. Gundogan wants to press, he's not a holding midfielder.
Ilkay Gundogan was tasked with the holding role, a decision which backfired in their defeat
'The most important player in your team is the anchorman – the player that brings everyone together, the dictator, that's why they signed Rodri. Fernandinho has been one of Man City's best players of all time because he is the rock in that team.'
Unsurprisingly, at least one of Rodri and Fernandinho has played in all of City's game so far this term apart from the Carabao Cup third-round win against Wycombe in midweek.
Guardiola did not diverge from using a holding midfielder against Tottenham or Arsenal so far this season, and while they may not possess the same quality as their London rival, City always remain a stronger outfit with one of the pair playing.
They provide protection to the solid centre-back partnership of Ruben Dias and John Stones - who O'Hara claimed had their 'worst game of the season' in Porto without them due to being horribly exposed - while allowing Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne to make an impact in more devastating areas.
Ruben Dias (R) and John Stones (L) were exposed at the back due to a lack of protection
Guardiola has rarely thrown such a curveball early on in a league season however, yet he must ensure one of their two holding midfielders plays from the start at Stamford Bridge.
Use Jack Grealish to create space in pockets
Guardiola's assessment of his tactics after the Champions League final also highlighted his plan to try and break Chelsea down in central areas.
And it was not the first time the Catalan had used the tactic of trying to play through the middle against the Blues and be left frustrated by the results.
'We didn't find the key players in the pockets,' the Catalan said during his post-match press conference after watching his side lose 1-0 at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final.
'We didn't create much, in the last minutes it was much better. They [Chelsea] are strong, well organised, seven players in the middle, experienced.'
Only two players have won more fouls in the Premier League this season than Jack Grealish
City have an abundance of creativity in central areas, with De Bruyne and Gundogan just two of the options available to Guardiola.
The solution however may come from the wider areas. City signed Jack Grealish in a £100million deal from Aston Villa in the summer, following a season in which he was the most fouled player in the Premier League.
Guardiola hinted in both of the aforementioned interviews that his
