They know that they are better than what they have been showing, and a few days off may have been just what was needed to break the miserable cycle that has seen just one win and eight defeats in 11 games.
However, there is also no magic solution that can instantly make everything better for them or bring back all of their injured players.
On top of that, Aston Villa is a hard place to go. Erling Haaland is in his third year at City and has never won there, and last year Villa was the low point of City’s season as they were well-beaten in December to leave serious questions about their chances of retaining the Premier League title.
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