"Oh no, here we go again."
That's what went through Andros Townsend's head in the 63rd minute of Crystal Palace's game with Manchester City at the Etihad last season.
Roy Hodgson's men had been as terrific as the Blues had been abject, recovering from going behind thanks to a Jeffrey Schlupp goal and a wonderstrike from Townsend himself. As City sought to restore balance in the second half, Kyle Walker dove in rashly to allow Luka Milivojevic the chance to put them 3-1 up at the home of the Premier League champions.
If the goals gave the visitors confidence, the touchline gave them dread as they turned after the hour-mark to see Kevin De Bruyne come onto the pitch, Pep Guardiola's second substitute after Sergio Aguero minutes earlier.
Asked if the absence of those two players from the starting XI had given Palace confidence, matchwinner Townsend did not give it a second's thought: "No because they have [Gabriel] Jesus up front who is equally as good and you look on the bench and see De Bruyne and Aguero coming in it is just as daunting.
"To be winning and see those players come on you think: 'Oh no, here we go again.'"
Palace did go again and, despite a late De Bruyne consolation, held on for an excellent victory but the point made revealed the thoughts of many an opposition team when facing City. While there are other strong squads in the Premier League, nobody can quite boast the array of gamechangers that regularly sit on the Blues bench.
If things do not immediately go well at Selhurst Park on Saturday, Guardiola knows that turning to his substitutes could have as much of an impact on Palace as it does his own team.
