Manchester City have completed 10 Premier League games, winning seven and losing three after a defeat at Nottingham Forest. The team sits in the top eight of the Champions League and has a home quarter-final against Bradford in the Carabao Cup next month, but a perfect start to the league campaign has been followed by three consecutive losses, souring the mood heading into the latest break.
Mixed Form Across the Squad
There have been highs and lows, with a perfect start followed by more difficulties in the last month as more players have struggled for form. This period has coincided with Enzo Maresca making more changes to his team every match, with some players thriving while others have been left out.
Here are the player ratings so far this season from Maresca's side based on their performance in all competitions.
Goalkeepers and Defenders
Donnarumma: A decent start to the season but the gaffes have started coming thick and fast and his errors in the Leipzig game showed a worrying loss of focus. 5
Rulli: Just the two cup games to his name so far, with an impressive performance in the penalty shootout against Brighton guaranteeing him at least one more game before the year is out. 7
Nunes: City's record with him is far better than without him, although he hasn't been able to put a run together recently and messed up against Brighton. 6
Lewis: He has shown promise going forward and that same reluctance to embrace the defensive aspect of a right-back role. Solid squad player. 6
Khusanov: Far better at centre-back than at full-back so it would be nice to see him trusted in the middle more, but has improved in recent weeks. 7
Dias: The high points came early at Porto, United and Liverpool but he has struggled since being taken off at half-time against PSG. 6
Guehi: Another whose strong start has quickly been forgotten after a string of errors. Guehi's form has become a big worry. 6
Reis: A first goal for the club, even if he didn't know what was going on when Rayan Cherki's shot hit him against Brighton. Promising. 6
Gvardiol: His last two games have probably been his worst two for the club, all over the place defensively and with his decision-making. 4
O'Reilly: Injuries haven't helped him to get any rhythm but even when he has come into the side there has been something missing. 5
Ait-Nouri: Zero Premier League minutes to date is damning for a player who has been left out of several squad. Needs a change quickly. 3
Midfielders and Forwards
Anderson: Man of the match at Old Trafford and Anfield, chipping in with goals and assists - he still has plenty to learn but the quality and consistency has been great. 8
Bouaddi: Terrific in the Champions League against Porto and PSG without getting many other opportunities. 7
Kovacic: One of the squad players who won't start many league games, he has been solid without ever being spectacular. 6
Fernandez: A few goals to his name but he has to offer more in that midfield - especially with his price tag and reputation. 5
Foden: He still isn't close to his best but four goals and four assists is a decent return after the red card at United. 7
Cherki: Can be frustrating and wasteful yet even in those games he is so creative he still manages to produce and seven goals is impressive. 8
Samba: Really took his chance against Norwich and has played well since in an unfamiliar role in the few opportunities he has had. 7
McAidoo: Plenty of promise, although he hasn't been at his sharpest in recent matches and went down to the Under-19s to find a spark. 6
Ndiaye: A very impressive start to life at City, immediately showing that he belongs in the team and picking up four assists already. 7
Semenyo: Possibly a bigger miss than many realised in recent weeks, Semenyo will hope to pick up where he left off when he returns from injury in December. 8
Doku: Electric to change the game at Anfield and has had other moments, yet generally his decisions in the final third have been poor. 6
Allan: A very raw winger, he has shown potential but is also still learning about English football and this City team. 6
Haaland: Scored in all but four games so far this season, showing remarkable consistency even if - because it's Haaland - you still feel he could have had more. 8
Manager's Outlook
Maresca: The honeymoon period is well and truly over and Maresca has substantial issues to solve over the next two weeks to get the team back on track. That said, they should progress to the Carabao Cup semi-finals next month, are on course to reach the top eight of the Champions League and are still safely in the top four in the league. It is about where City would have been expected to be given the summer. 7
