Losing a Premier League match is never ideal, especially when you then have six weeks before you can respond.
That is exactly the situation Manchester City find themselves in unfortunately following their 2-1 loss to Brentford. City's 14th match of the Premier League season was their final outing before the start of the World Cup. The staging of the tournament in Qatar in winter means that elite club football has ground to a halt for six weeks while the best players in the world battle it out to win the ultimate prize.
While the tournament promises to be an exciting spectacle with City players front and centre - 16 members of Pep Guardiola's squad will be taking part - there is no real substitute for regular club football.