Crisis averted then for Manchester City. Or perhaps that should read crisis postponed? The champions of England escaped the league phase and through a certain prism, there is a case to be made that Pep Guardiola’s side are well into the post-nadir period of their season.

Undefeated in the Premier League since Christmas, their last five top-flight matches might have brought a clean sweep of points but for Brentford’s late heroics in west London. City are up into the top four, they will almost certainly make it through to the FA Cup fifth round, and, as Guardiola put it on Wednesday night, they know that Bayern Munich and Real Madrid will be no less dispirited by the shape of the Champions League draw than they are.

“The most important thing is that we stick together, especially in the hard times.” – Josko Gvardiol.

Nonetheless, doubts linger over their prospects in the upcoming matches against more formidable opponents, and there is a stark need for improvement in their defensive setup as injuries and form issues complicate the current outlook.

The next fixtures are perilous for City, which will test their resiliency and adaptability as they aim to regain their dominant form earlier in the season.