The lights dimmed as the projector screen flickered to life, painting tactical lines across the room's stillness.
Mikel Arteta stood at the front, remote in hand, his presence cutting clean through the hum of chatter.
The first frame paused on Manchester City's crest before it transitioned to a freeze-frame of their last Premier League match.
"They're still the standard," Arteta said.
"Even with a few players missing for the match and the departure of others like Alvarez, they'll still be the team to beat."
The screen shifted to footage of Phil Foden drifting inside from the left.
Arteta drew lines across the tactical board showing Foden, De Bruyne, and Bernardo Silva all rotating into half-spaces.
"They don't need a pure striker to kill you. They drown you. Runners in waves. Gaps exploited. That third man movement still defines them."
Declan Rice leaned forward.
"What's the shape, boss? They still in that 3-2-4-1 when they're building?"
