The sixth instalment of the seven-part documentary series will be available to watch on CITY+ and Recast from 18:00 (UK) on Thursday 1 September.
In the latest edition we are taken behind-the-scenes into the heart of the City camp during one of the most dramatic periods of the campaign as Pep Guardiola’s men face Liverpool, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid in the space of one season-defining month.
There are plenty of talking points, but here are five things that stood out to us in episode six…
An inspirational video
At the beginning of the episode we see how the squad prepared for a top-of-the-table clash with Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium, which provides us with an insight into Guardiola’s motivational methods.
The boss had a video created ahead of that game, which the players watched in the changing room minutes before stepping out onto the pitch.
It did its job, with the squad giving their all in a thrilling 2-2 draw which ultimately kept our fortunes in our own hands heading into the final month of the season and it was well received by the players.
“It makes you feel a part of it, because all players are in that video,” Bernardo Silva explains.
“And also you see the happiness of the fans when you score a goal. You see what it means to the people. If you watch that video it makes you smile, because everyone is scoring goals. Happy moments and you want to repeat those moments.”
Mahrez’s pre-match prep
This episode focuses on a period in April when it was big game after big game for City.
Three days after that draw with Liverpool we travelled to Madrid to face Atleti in the second leg of our Champions League quarter-final tie and it is before this game that we learn of Riyad Mahrez’s favoured pre-match routine.
The Algerian is seen showcasing his skills in a game of two-touch in the bowels of the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, alongside Ruben Dias, Phil Foden and Oleksandr Zinchenko.
“I just want to play two-touch because I am so excited, I want to play the game,” he says.
“I hate arriving an hour and a half before the game because you wait so long. I don’t need to do anything before the game.
“All I want is the game to arrive quick so, because I am excited, I take the ball and I play with everyone.”
Fernandinho’s leadership
Throughout the series we see various players come to the fore and address the team in the moments before kick-off.
Ruben Dias and Rodrigo are two such figures who do so earlier in the documentary and, in this episode, the leadership of captain Fernandinho is abundantly clear.
The Brazilian confirms he will leave the Club at the start of episode but in the games that follow he continues to be an influential figure in the changing room and particularly so before we face Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid.
De Bruyne’s surprise
In episode two it was Phil Foden’s young son Ronnie who was the star of the show and, in the latest instalment, it is Kevin De Bruyne’s son, Rome.
The toddler makes a guest appearance at the City Football Academy whilst his dad trains, ‘scaring’ some of the staff and doing the same to the midfielder once his session ends.
It’s one of the most heart-warming scenes in the series.
Training can be fun
The period between April and early May which episode six focuses on included a gruelling run of games for City.
Guardiola’s side played nine times in those four weeks, with each fixture of the utmost importance as we battled it out in three competitions.
It is easy to imagine that the significance of each match makes every training session extremely serious, but we learn that is not always the case as the squad participate in some fun training ground games following the 3-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion.
“We just try and make some stuff light hearted,” explains the first team’s Head of Sport Science, Sam Erith.
“It can’t all be serious. They are playing so many games under so much pressure every three days, we need to relax sometimes and enjoy ourselves.”
