Pep Guardiola and his Manchester City team continue their defence of the Emirates FA Cup on Saturday, when they take on Chelsea at Wembley Stadium.
Ahead of the game, here's an excerpt from Guardiola’s programme notes for the game.
You can read the full draft in the programme itself, which you can order online or pick up at Wembley on the day.
“When I first began watching football as a young boy, it was these kinds of occasions that would feel really special – big games between two top teams at an iconic venue.
“To be here as Manchester City manager – with a chance to make the Final of this incredible competition once again – really is something very beautiful for me, my players and my staff.
“I love being at Wembley. I won two Champions League titles here with Barcelona – once as a player under the old Twin Towers back in 1992 when we defeated Sampdoria, and once as a manager in 2011 when we beat Manchester United – and, of course, with City I have been here many, many times. I can say honestly it is always special to me and those memories will never, ever fade.
“Last June, when we beat Manchester United here to win the FA Cup, it was one of the greatest days of my career. It was hard to take in everything after the game because the emotion was so high, but looking back it means so much to me. The players loved it, too, and that is why we are so determined to win again because we want to be back here to defend our trophy at the end of the season.
“It will be great to see Mauricio Pochettino again. I love playing against him – always you learn something after a game against one of his teams. There are so many top managers in England right now and Mauricio is definitely one of them. Chelsea will become a far better team with him as manager, I have no doubts about that.
“In my time here in England, Chelsea have always been a difficult team to play against. We have had some amazing matches against them. Both teams always look to go forward and win the game, so I am expecting today to be entertaining, for sure.”
