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.

Pep Guardiola has said he doesn't think Manchester City can win the Champions League this season after they scraped into the play-off round to book a tie against either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich.

The serial-winning Catalan does not lose very often, but has still endured a number of harrowing days as a manager that he'd much rather forget