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Pep Guardiola has no complaints about being forced to name an incomplete substitutes bench that included two goalkeepers during Manchester City\u2019s dramatic 4-4 draw with Chelsea on Sunday.<\/p>\n
The champions took only eight replacements to Stamford Bridge, amongst them reserve keepers Stefan Ortega and Scott Carson, as injuries limited the manager\u2019s options.<\/p>\n
Guardiola was without John Stones and Nathan Ake, with the latter having been ruled out as late as Friday, whilst Kevin De Bruyne remains a long-term absentee.<\/p>\n
Yet City looked to have coped well without their missing trio and thought they had nicked three points late on in west London when Rodri\u2019s effort deflected in off Chelsea\u2019s Thiago Silva four minutes from time.<\/p>\n
That was until former City man Cole Palmer levelled from the spot in the fifth minute of stoppage time after Armando Broja had been fouled by Ruben Dias.<\/p>\n
Despite the enforced absences and dropped points, Guardiola said he was satisfied with the squad depth available to him.<\/p>\n
\u201cKevin is long-term, John was injured unfortunately. Nathan was injured. The rest are OK,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like to work with a small (group). It\u2019s so tough if five, six, seven players don\u2019t play, they don\u2019t like that. It\u2019s what it is.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we have injuries, it\u2019s unlucky, but we have done all the time.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor many years we\u2019ve had this type of squad.\u201d<\/p>\n
Guardiola said he felt his team put in a performance far better than in recent seasons at Stamford Bridge, despite Palmer \u2013 who left City for Chelsea in a \u00a342million deal on the last day of the transfer window \u2013 coming back to haunt his former manager at the death.<\/p>\n
It came after the visitors has twice led through Erling Haaland, who scored his 12th and 13th Premier League goals of the season, with Manuel Akanji also netting.<\/p>\n
For Chelsea, Raheem Sterling also scored against the club with whom he won the league four times, with Silva and Nicolas Jackson also on target.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t remember a game where we\u2019ve come here and had the chances that we had,\u201d said Guardiola. \u201cEven games where we\u2019ve come here and won, last year for example was much, much worse than (Sunday).<\/p>\n
\u201cEven by a million times it was much worse than today, and we won 1-0. We tried, we created a lot of chances.<\/p>\n
We take a good point, we created a lot of chances in the right moments<\/p>\n
\u201cThe talent cannot be controlled sometimes. They are in a good process, their shape is really good, what they do.<\/p>\n
\u201cGive credit both teams. The game was tight. It was momentum for everyone, and momentum you can break. It\u2019s a fair result.<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing changed. Chelsea is Chelsea, one of the greatest teams in the last 20 years.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know how good they are. For us, it\u2019s a good test. How long we didn\u2019t lose, that\u2019s a good sign.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday we didn\u2019t lose, we (played) away. We take a good point, we created a lot of chances in the right moments.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it was a fair result for both sides.\u201d<\/p>\n