Pep Guardiola has been compared to King Cnut at times, protesting to the world that his team is not infallible, that the title race is never over in January (reader: it is sometimes), and that Premier League opponents are decent teams rather than hapless victims to be humiliated in a televisual entertainment fest.

Manchester City lost for the first time since the clocks went back in October on Saturday. Since losing to Crystal Palace, they have won 12 games in a row.