Man City shutting out Liverpool FC and Arsenal distractions during Club World Cup trip

Manchester City could be the kings of the world on Friday night but might spend Christmas watching their Premier League rivals disappearing into the distance. The Blues face Fluminese in Jeddah at the end of this week with a chance to be crowned world champions and win an unprecedented fifth trophy in 2023, a tally never before matched by an English club.

But their grip on one of those crowns is loosening ever so slightly and while City are focusing on foreign policy this week, domestic matters are overtaking them back home. Aston Villa could go top of the league the same night City face the South American champions. On Saturday night it is Liverpool vs Arsenal at Anfield, while City’s fixture with Brentford has been postponed and will be played at a later date.

When the potential world champions walk out on Merseyside to face Everton on the night of December 27, Villa and Liverpool will have played again. If Jurgen Klopp’s side beat Arsenal and Burnley they will be 10 points clear of City. Indeed, City could actually drop to sixth by the time they kick-off against the Toffees.

But the message from the Middle East is simple; don’t panic. The change of scenario and the December sunshine could be the reset required for a team who have won just one of their last six top flight fixtures. They returned to winning ways with a 3-0 cruise against Urawa Red Diamonds at the King Abdullah Sport City Stadium on Tuesday and while Rodri was briefly enticed into a Premier League discussion, he was quick to direct the conversation back to his own side.

Seeing rivals from afar

City’s pre-Christmas jaunt to the Middle East has come at a good time, offering a chance to forget their patchy domestic form. That was thrown into starker focus on Saturday when they squandered a 2-0 lead against Crystal Palace at the Etihad, conceding twice in the final 16 minutes to draw a game they had dominated. That continued a run of form that has allowed Arsenal, Liverpool and Villa to leapfrog City and Rodri admitted those results had left a bad feeling within the squad.