Manchester City have hit yet another low point of their current decline, losing 2-0 to Juventus in the Champions League. It is a result that could have repercussions for their title battle with Arsenal later in the season.
As Mikel Arteta's team secured a confidence-boosting European win over AS Monaco in North London, Pep Guardiola's side attempted to rediscover their winning verve in Turin.
However, Man City ended the night with only one win in their last 10 outings as Juventus ran out 2-0 winners. Their team contained Erling Haaland, Kevin de Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias, Kyle Walker and Ederson was restored to the starting line-up, although second-half strikes from Dusan Vlahovic and Weston McKennie would sink the 2022/23 Champions League winners.
Man City left the Allianz Stadium turf with their heads down as the reality of their failure set in. In the wider context of wanting to beat Arsenal to the Champions League and Premier League this 2024/25 campaign, their hopes have taken an almighty blow.
With six rounds of Champions League football complete, they are stranded in 22nd with just eight points from six games, with two games still to play.
They are five points adrift of the top eight places needed to qualify automatically for the knockout stages, so by the end of round seven their place in the play-off round at best could be confirmed.
This would mean playing two extra fixtures on February midweeks, with the second leg scheduled before a home league meeting against current leaders Liverpool.
Were Man City to still be in the title race by then, they will have a huge challenge on their hands to keep pace with Arsenal, who after Wednesday's win are in a good position to reach the Round of 16 without having to feature in a Champions League play-off.
There is also the growing possibility that Man City's Champions League dream comes to an embarrassing end by January.
Their next fixture is away to Paris Saint-Germain, who are 25th in the table with one point less. If the French champions win that one, they would leapfrog the English champions.
It would then come down to a final round clash with Club Brugge at the Etihad Stadium to scrape their way through to the play-offs, rather than drop out of European competition entirely.