Man City vs Chelsea preview: Nick Cushing has technical players to hurt Sonia Bompastor's side despite Bunny Shaw loss

“I’m sure the pitch will be better at the Joie Stadium,” Man City's interim boss Nick Cushing said following his side's League Cup final defeat by Chelsea at the weekend. The dry, bobbly surface at Derby County’s Pride Park was hardly befitting of the occasion.

More than that, it played into Chelsea's hands.

Man City have never been a team who favour the ugly side of the game. Saturday proved it. Cushing's side dominated and controlled proceedings: they enjoyed more possession, a greater number of shots, more touches in the opposition box, more passes into the final third and better chances.

Instead, Chelsea wore them down with persistence and determination - it's a doggedness no domestic rival has ever quite matched. Sonia Bompastor's side made more tackles, clearances and ball recoveries than their Manchester counterparts before forcing a game-deciding situation where Yui Hasegawa turned the ball into her own net.

Off the ball Chelsea are the best in the business.

"Psychologically, it's really important to win the first one," Bompastor reflected. Neither of Chelsea's two goals were particularly well choreographed but that matters not when the outcome ultimately belongs to them.

A sandy pitch. A slice of luck. Chelsea always manage to come out on top in big games regardless of the circumstances because they believe wholeheartedly in their status as winners. And that belief has become their superpower. A money-can't-buy mentality. Captain Millie Bright calls it a "magic gift".

Where the Champions League differs, however, is the virtue of 180 minutes. Cushing, rehired by City to replace the outgoing Gareth Taylor just five days before Saturday's final, now has the chance to exercise his own tactical nous. The perfect opportunity to prove City's finesse on the ball can overpower Chelsea's tenacity off it.

As the returning boss acknowledged post-match, finals "swing on moments". But a two-legged tie allows City to seek control in a more measured way, taking time in the build-up phase, using patience to draw the opponents out - and preying on Chelsea's desperation to conquer the only competition that has so far eluded them. This, of course, is the trophy they yearn for most.

City's midfield trio - Hasegawa, Jill Roord and Viv Miedema - have the potential to play any team in Europe off the park. Add Jess Park to the mix, a possible replacement for the injured Bunny Shaw, and they have far more creativity and ball intelligence than Chelsea's central pairing of Erin Cuthbert and Sjoeke Nüsken, if not as much industry.

But City should not feel compelled to get dragged into a dogfight, they need only demonstrate conviction in what they do best. Cushing's emotional attachment to the club and previous success should help with that.

"I have the belief this team can win. I wouldn't be here if I didn't," he reflected after losing round one of four at the weekend. That confidence needs to translate to his players pretty fast.

Unsurprisingly, last week's training sessions had less focus on tactics, more focus on players showing what they can offer during this high-risk, high-reward run of fixtures. The 'pick-me' showcase any squad undergoes when a new manager takes over and important games are on the horizon.

Cushing will be better informed this time around and so attempting to marry City's passing prowess with a sound tactical plan should come more naturally.

Grass on the pitch will help with fluency, too. It shouldn't be a factor worth mentioning but it is.

City are only at their best when zipping the ball with pace and purpose - it's how they beat Barcelona, the defending champions, 2-0 in the group stages. The physical battle will no doubt be won by Chelsea but the technical side should be City's to own. Pack the team with pass masters and trust them to perform.

Tell Roord to join attacks. Use Miedema's movement. Give Park the license to roam free.

Chelsea defender Bright, collecting her 14th major honour in blue, got it spot on when dissecting the key difference on Saturday. "We can play scruffy... any type of game, we'll be up for it."

Cushing and City don't have that same luxury; they are far more wedded to a set style but it's one that can be liberating for the game-changers among his very talented squad.

City should be buoyed by their League Cup performance, not shackled by it. Only then can they hope to blemish Bompastor's near-perfect record and hit Chelsea, perhaps, where it hurts most.

Follow live updates from Man City vs Chelsea in the Champions League on Wednesday evening in our dedicated live blog. Kick-off 8pm.