Pep Guardiola Photo: VCG

Manchester City play Chelsea in the first all-English UEFA Champions League final since Liverpool beat Spurs in Madrid in 2019.

The English champions and League Cup winners arrive in Porto - which took over hosting duties from Istanbul because of COVID-19 travel concerns - as the clear favorites.

Part of the reason is that they have a coach who has been here before.

Pep Guardiola, now 50 and greying, was last at this stage of the competition with Barcelona a decade ago. His team went on to beat Manchester United at Wembley in the 2011 final.

Guardiola spoke with the calmness of a man who has seen it all before in his final press conference before the final. He said that his team are ready, whoever he decides to call on.

"They are ready, I know how good they are, all of them, I'm not going to change for one or two training sessions, like they are going to convince me. I know most of them for many years, I have an idea, there's still the starting XI, still not done. Not yet."

Guardiola was appointed at the Etihad to make sure that the club were involved on nights like this but he claimed that he was still surprised to take Manchester City to being 90 minutes away from being European champions.

"I never thought in the beginning of the season, that this was the season to get to the final," he said.

"Never approach this competition like this, since I started at Barcelona, we are quite similar teams what we were in the past and when we were out. 

"We are quite satisfied to get into the final but we know if you don't have a huge desire to win it, a huge desire to know what you have to do, then it will not be possible to win the game and win the Champions League."

It is remarkable to think that 2011 was the last time Guardiola took charge of a Champions League final. It is even more remarkable to think that a 10-year-old Phil Foden was watching that night on television. On Friday night Foden turned 21 and the Stockport-born player is expected to feature for his hometown side on Saturday, in the biggest night in the club's history.

Foden told the Manchester Evening News that he remembers that Barcelona side and cannot believe he is working with its mastermind.

"When I used to watch Barcelona as a kid, it was unbelievable; the way he set them up and how they played one-touch and two-touch football was unbelievable, and I never would have thought that he would be my coach some day," Foden told the newspaper.

"I feel very lucky to have him as a coach and I enjoy it every day, working with him. I just remember growing up and they dominated football for years, winning everything. 

"I just remember always watching it with my Dad and thinking, 'Wow! What a team this is and what a coach they have!' He has tried to bring that kind of football here and it seems to be working. 

"Definitely, they played a big part in my career, watching them when I was younger, and it helps as well, now that the manager's here. I understand how he plays and how he wants to play. It helps a lot.

"There weren't many young kids at my age playing in a team like this," Foden added. "A lot of people were complaining about the minutes and things, but the team that we have here and how many quality players we had at the time, it was very difficult to get in. 

"I just kept believing in myself and trusting the manager. This year has been really good for me, playing more minutes and I would definitely say it has paid off."

"They just keep telling me that they can't believe that I'm going to play in the Champions League final, from watching it when I was younger," he continued.

"I'm just going to go into the final the same way as any other game: just smiling and saying let's see how it goes. Nothing's going to change how I prepare. Everything's just going to be the same."

While Foden said it will be the same, goalkeeper Ederson is prepared if things take a more unusual plan. The Brazilian has told TNT Sports that he is taking a penalty if it goes to a shootout, as Chelsea's all-English final with Manchester United did in Moscow in 2008.

"I am [on the list]. I don't need to train much, but the fifth one, I'm taking it. The decisive one. I think I'll take the fifth one," Ederson said.

His ability was backed up by reserve keeper Scott Carson. 

"He has smashed a few at me and Zack [Steffen] and it's one of them where you actually want him to score, you don't want the ball to hit you because he smashes it that hard," City's backup told the Manchester Evening News.

"It does hurt! He takes a few every now and then and seems to find the side-netting every single time, and with the power. It's incredible."

Ideally, for everyone except goal hungry Ederson, it will not come to that but will to win will be vital. That's the view of City skipper Fernandinho.

"It's a really happy moment, a huge honor, and there's no doubt that it makes you even more motivated, and as we say, we've always got to give 100 percent, 100% of the time, and I think in a game like this anything less than 200 % won't be enough to win it," the veteran Brazilian said.

From the coach to the team's young star to the veteran captain and the keeper, City have shown the desire to make history.