It is five years and 14 games since we last got the better of Pep Guardiola’s side. That was the Champions League final in Porto and Saturday’s domestic showpiece at Wembley would be the perfect time to end that winless streak.

McFarlane is confident his squad is primed to rise to the challenge. Speaking ahead of the final, our interim head coach emphasised the levels required.

‘The players have got the belief they can beat anyone – we just know that we have to be the best version of ourselves,’ said McFarlane.

‘Manchester City are an exceptional side with an exceptional coach and exceptional players, so it’s going to be a challenge. But we also have really good players, and these players have shown that if they're at their best, they can beat anyone.’

Some might believe an FA Cup final, given the stakes, requires special preparation, but McFarlane explained that has not been the case at Cobham this week.

He and the Chelsea coaching staff have been sticking with the usual routines to help keep a lid on any pre-match nerves or heightened emotions.

‘We'll have the same process in the way we work day to day, whether it's meetings with players, individual meetings, it will all be the same,’ stated McFarlane.

‘We will try to keep it as normal as possible and try and get the same sort of performance we got against Leeds and Liverpool. But, of course, it’s a massive game and you can't hide away from that. We all want to win.’