A lot of Manchester City's issues since the World Cup have been a failure of fundamentals.
You can have all the false nines and inverted full-backs you like but if you pass the ball to an opposition player near your box, the chances are you will concede a goal. City's supply line for Erling Haaland has slowed and they have been needlessly open at the back.
They are also second in the table with the chance to go top on Wednesday, so things are hardly awful. But nobody can deny that performances have dipped in recent weeks that have hampered their efforts to put more pressure on Arsenal.
