Well, that was unexpected, said no one ever. Arsenal went into the Etihad desperately needing a win on the back of three consecutive draws against a side that hadn’t lost at home since Gutenberg invented the printing press and failed. Man City did what Man City does, namely, amassing enormous squad depth through entirely legiitimate methods and cake-walking past anyone who dares to stand in their path. Much the of the pre-match chatter focused on how Arsenal would bottle it, but, really, how can you bottle something that no one saw you having a chance at bottling in the first place?

Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s clash of TItans (well, at least one titan…), Pep Guardiola admitted that he and his players will be “a little bit nervous”​—his own words​—as they prepare to face Arsenal in what could very well coronate a champion. To be honest, Man City have an inside track on an inside track here; should they win or even draw, their chance at winning the Prem skyrocket. Should we achieve the impossible, we improve our chances modestly. Still, the idea that the likes of Haaland or Rodri or De Bruyne are nervous might give us an edge.

The current doom-and-gloom around the club is palpable, and why wouldn’t it be? We’ve now dropped four or six points depending on your maths, and it doesn’t look like Saliba will return to the fold anytime soon. What once looked like a worrying wobble has started to more closely resemble a full-on implosion. A draw away to Liverpool? Most of us take that​—except that followin​g it with two more draws to relegation fodder feels ex post facto like all three make for an unholy triumvirate. Still, maybe​—just maybe, this is all part of a game of 4D chess…