When Manchester City put seven past RB Leipzig, and Pep Guardiola was asked whether his side are getting better in the Champions League, he instead pointed to the clean sheet his defenders kept.
Likewise, Rico Lewis said the City dressing room were equally happy with the clean sheet in the rout of Burnley four days later, with the Blues aware that keeping goals out is just as important at this stage of the season as the goals they are firing in at the other end of the pitch.
In City's 10-game unbeaten run that has kept them alive in three competitions, they have kept five clean sheets and conceded just five. They've also shown how being better at 'guaranteed' situations like set plays can turn tight games in your favour and away from an opponent.
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Before the World Cup, City conceded four of their 14 goals against from set pieces, at a rate of one every five games. Since the World Cup, they have conceded just two of 16 goals against in 21 games, at one every ten games.
In attack, the goals are flowing more from set plays, where City know a quality ball into the box can offer a good chance of a shot on goal. In particular, City's movement and reactions to second balls has been evident in recent games.
During the 10-game winning run, seven of City's 31 goals scored have come from set play situations, representing 22 per cent of their goals. Over the whole season, City have nine set-piece goals in the Premier League at 13 per cent of their league goals scored. Slowly but surely, they are making their set pieces more effective.
They didn't need to rely on set pieces against Burnley, with six open play goals, but against Leipzig they won the opening penalty from an effective set piece, and went on to get three more from deep corners headed back into the danger zone for Erling Haaland to smash in the rebound.
The only goal of the game in the tight win at Crystal Palace came from quick thinking at a corner by Ilkay Gundogan to win a penalty, while the opening goals at Nottingham Forest and against Aston Villa were also from corners. In the crucial win at Arsenal, City kept the pressure on their title rivals with at least two glorious chances that they should have scored from corners.
Manu Akanji looked genuinely frustrated not to score at least one when Haaland scored his three rebounds vs Leipzig - all from Akanji efforts - but the fact the defender was getting good efforts away in the box is a positive. Likewise, Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake have good records from set pieces, and even if the defenders are not scoring, they are creating chances for the likes of Haaland, Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez, who know to be alive in the area. The deliveries from Kevin De Bruyne have remained quality, while Jack Grealish and Foden are becoming ever more reliable with dead balls.
City haven't suddenly discovered the art of set pieces, more that they have a settled side these days and are doing far better at making those situations count. They still have some way to go to match last season's record of 21 goals scored in the league from set pieces out of their total 99 scored (21 per cent).
Still, if the ten-game run is considered, they are again matching that rate of scoring from set plays. Against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, and in the FA Cup semi-final vs Sheffield United, taking advantage of those moments could be the difference between progressing and getting knocked out.
And in the Premier League, where there is no more room for slipping up if City want to make up the eight points on Arsenal, making the most of corners and free kicks will significantly boost those title chances.
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