In his usual press conference on Friday, the boss was asked whether he feels his plan gets the most from City’s international stars or whether it can stifle their natural abilities.
“Tactics are to put them on the pitch to help them to express their talent more often” said Guardiola.
“I use tactics to create some patterns so everyone can be more comfortable. That gives them more time to express their talent as much as possible. This is how I use tactics.
“Defensively take the ball as quick as possible and with the ball create some patterns. I don’t think the tactics is against the creativity of players. Now it is easier because we are seven seasons together and we know each other quite well.”
You can watch the full video from Pep’s pre-match briefing above...
City v Bournemouth
You can follow the game in our Matchday Centre on mancity.com and the official app, which includes minute by minute text updates from 13:00, whilst key moments will be covered on Twitter: @ManCity.
Our Matchday Live show begins one hour before kick-off and is available on all our digital platforms, including our Matchday Centre.
And, during the game, you can listen to live audio commentary in the Man City app.
Short highlights will be available to watch on Saturday evening, while CITY+ subscribers will also be able to enjoy every minute of the action in our full-match replay from midnight.