Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has told Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips that he has to earn his confidence if he wants to play more regularly.

Guardiola said: “I’m not complaining about Kalvin because when you don’t play much it’s difficult to take the rhythm. John [Stones] we’re seven years together, Rodri is [four] years together. I don’t have to tell them anything. Just little details – a movement here or there.

“Kalvin if maybe in the past he’d played more minutes he will get that but Rodri was in exceptional form. That role is so so important, that’s why the lack of minutes makes the circle more difficult. But he always pays attention, in the training sessions he is always open-minded to get it.

“But being so behind Arsenal, we cannot drop points. We haven’t had that situation of being eight, 10 points in front – in the past it happened. He can do it, but in that moment I always had the feeling Rodri knows exactly what to do in the role. He continues to do what he knows exactly he has to do.

“It’s a question of tactics, movements. Sometimes in these types of cases it’s not necessary to tell them. It depends on the players, at the end we’re here, I try to be honest with the questions and my feelings. My feelings sometimes change.

“But at the end it belongs to the players, they have to convince himself and the team and not because I say something it’s going to happen. They have to earn my confidence. All of them, not just Kalvin, all of them how they perform.”