Pep Guardiola emitted a deep exhale after the realisation that his team would be treated to a rare free week before travelling to Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park.
The rest ultimately served Guardiola’s side well as City returned to action with a 1-0 victory in south London. However, the reigning champions had to rely upon a second-half penalty from Erling Haaland to get over the line and shrink the gap up to Arsenal at the Premier League summit.
Any future free weeks depend on City’s success in the Champions League and FA Cup. However, here’s what lies ahead for Guardiola’s side as things…
