World Cup decision solves one problem but creates another for Man City and Pep Guardiola

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

One common theme under the management of Pep Guardiola is a sluggish start to the season. For one reason or another, Manchester City seem to drop silly points at the start of the campaign and pick up the pace towards the hectic winter period.

In 2020/21, despite falling as low as mid-table, City put together a record 21 consecutive wins in all competitions between December and March to cement themselves at the top of the league.

It was a similar situation last season. Early defeats to Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace put Chelsea in command, but a 12-match winning run in the Premier League between November and January gave them - at one stage - a 14-point lead. ALSO READ: Bernardo Silva sale to Barcelona would see Man City lose something they'd struggle to replace One key reason - particularly in the last two years - for such a slow start has been a lack of pre-season.

In 2020/21, the Covid-19 pandemic delayed the season and meant the players had only two weeks of holiday between the end of the previous campaign, and the start of the new one.