Pep Guardiola had Manchester City fans scratching their heads with an unusual team selection for the game against third-placed Leicester.
Leaving a host of star names on the bench, the manager gave a start to Benjamin Mendy, played with the same double pivot of Fernandinho and Rodri which was overrun by the Foxes in the 5-2 defeat in September, and started Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus.
But Guardiola's rotation, with a crunch Champions League quarter-final against Borussia Dortmund just three days away, did the job as a 2-0 win saw them move to within 11 points of winning the league with seven games left.
After an international break which saw some of his players play a lot of football, Guardiola turned to the group of players who had remained in Manchester for a fortnight - the Brazil contingent of Ederson, Fernandinho and Gabriel Jesus, Argentina's Sergio Aguero and out-of-favour Ben Mendy and Aymeric Laporte.
He added Riyad Mahrez, who only played once for Algeria, on Monday, plus Kevin De Bruyne and Rodri, who were rested by their national teams in midweek.
Guardiola reached his decision after talking to the players as they arrived back from international duty on Friday, as he explained.
"Yesterday, the players came back and I spoke with some of them - some of them were tired," he said.
"Three games in ten days with a lot of travel - and we tried to put out as fresh legs as possible, except Nathan (Ake), which was a pity.
"The rest of the players were here in Manchester and the players that didn't play the last game on international duty were ready to play.
"Our commitment was good in terms of the ball, more patient than we were in the first game at the Etihad Winning 1-0 we were nervous, and you have to be patient to attack Leicester because they defend so strong and deep and punish you with a counter. We were pleased, a good victory and another step."
