Pep Guardiola accepts the responsibility for Manchester City's failure to keep Cole Palmer.
The champions sold Palmer, one of their highly-rated academy prospects, to Chelsea last summer.
The 21-year-old, a member of City’s treble-winning squad last season, has shone since the switch and been the London club’s standout player this term.
Guardiola admits he did not give the youngster, who faces City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday evening, the minutes he wanted and understands his reasons for moving.
The City manager said: "For young players, we always want them to stay but this is normal. After two or three seasons he wanted more minutes than he had the last season. I understand completely.
"If Palmer had the minutes I gave to Phil (Foden) from the beginning, Cole Palmer would be here – but I didn’t give them to him. That is my responsibility. Why? Because of Bernardo (Silva), Riyad (Mahrez), Phil. In that moment, I chose the other ones.
"After one season it is nice, and the second season, but the third season it is, 'Oh guys, I want to play, I don’t want to sit on the bench’.
"It’s normal. We understand as a club. We got an offer from an incredible top club like Chelsea and I’m really happy for him. In all clubs these types of things happen."
Palmer scored Chelsea’s late equaliser against City from the penalty spot when the sides met at Stamford Bridge in November.
He is Chelsea’s leading scorer this season with 12 goals in all competitions and their top assist-maker with nine.
Guardiola said: "We knew the quality he has and the impact he has shown this season is enormous. It is not just goals and assists, it is the quality. He is an incredible threat for Chelsea."
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino said of Palmer, who signed in September for an initial £40m: "We knew he was a talented player with the potential to be top," said
"But like all young players, always there was a question mark about how he would adapt to the team, to the new environment.
"I need to be honest – he surprised everyone. Always when you sign a player you expect something, but not so quick. He was an impact. After one week, two weeks, he was playing like he was an experienced player here.
"City are world champions, Premier League champions, they won the Champions League. They are in a different place to us, we are in another project. That's why a player like Palmer can have a place here but maybe would need to wait [at City]. Some players don’t want to wait."
While Palmer may be excelling elsewhere, City have hardly missed him as they have moved into a strong position to retain all three of the major trophies they won last season.
Their consistency and dominance in games led pundits including Gary Neville, the former Manchester United defender, to debate recently whether City are actually a boring team to watch.
Guardiola is pleased his side have reached a level where this is being discussed.
"Thank you for the compliment," he said. "What can I say? It’s fine.
"Everything is so difficult in football. You have to do so many things to try to win games and what these players have done for many years, and this season as well, is admirable.
"Hats off to my players. It’s just unbelievable the way that my players are consistent and take seriously our opponents."
Guardiola does not feel such debates suggest he or his team do not get due credit for their achievements.
He said: "Of course we have credit. We are admired, I am pretty sure of that. People in the world of football know how difficult it is, being there for six or seven years in all competitions.
"In the future you will not forget. It looks easy, but it’s not."
"Music is one of the most important things in life"
Pochettino believes "music can change everything" after Chelsea fans inspired his team's 3-1 comeback win at Crystal Palace on Monday with a chorus of Bob Marley’s 'Three Little Birds’.
The second half at Selhurst Park was delayed when referee Michael Oliver’s radio equipment failed, during which time the stadium PA system belted out the 1977 hit.
And away supporters kept the song’s famous refrain "don’t worry about a thing, because every little thing is gonna be alright" going when the game resumed.
Within minutes their prophecy was realised when Conor Gallagher slammed Malo Gusto’s low cross into the top corner to equalise Jefferson Lerma’s first-half strike for Palace.
Afterwards Gallagher, who went on to net the game’s crucial goal to put his side 2-1 up in stoppage time, said he had been singing the song in his head as he helped drag his side to victory after a dreadful first 45 minutes for Chelsea in south London.
Enzo Fernandez scored a third with almost the game’s final act as Palace chased an equaliser, sealing the Blues’ second 3-1 away win inside of a week after the FA Cup victory at Aston Villa.
Pochettino revealed it was not the first time music has been pivotal to his success as a manager.
He said: "They [fans] were happy, no? They were winning the game and everything was positive for us. After we scored, the feeling changed quick.
"I was so focused I didn’t hear the song. But after the game our fans made it their anthem.
"Music is so important for everyone. It can change your mood, can change your energy, can change everything.
"For sure some players can provide better or more energy. We used to do at Southampton and after at Tottenham, at the end of every single training session, we cheated a bit because we put a speaker in the middle of the pitch and made them run with music, different players choosing every day. We need to suffer, but we did with music. And they were so happy.
"We haven’t done that here but maybe one day. Music is one of the most important things in life."
