Manchester City return to action this weekend in a good place but for one of their teams there is a huge fixture lying in wait next week.
Borussia Dortmund vs Manchester City in the UEFA Youth League
City need a result in the Youth League next week after losing to Borussia Dortmund last time out
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Everything might be going swimmingly for Pep Guardiola and the Manchester City first team at the moment, but that is not the case for Ben Wilkinson and the Elite Development Squad. It was City's Under-21s who kept the silverware rolling in last season. Winning the Premier League 2 league title and play-off phase, while the Under-19s, which often consists of the same group, reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Youth League.
But in the early stages of this season, the Blues youngsters are 19th in Premier League 2, with just three wins from eight games, and they are out of the EFL Trophy, losing 3-0 to Bolton and 4-2 to Rotherham to undo the good work from a 5-1 win at Oldham. It's not gone as anyone would have hoped so far, even if the primary purpose of youth development, which is to provide players for the first team, continues to be a success.
There is plenty of time to get the league campaign back on track, but the Youth League is a competition City are desperate to do well in, having never won it, and after a bright start, they are in danger of failing to get past the league phase. That would be a mighty blow before Christmas in a season that is already proving to be a test.
Wilkinson's side beat Napoli 2-0 and Monaco 5-3 to take maximum points from their first two games and after the opener, the head coach spoke about the benefits of the competition and the value it offers to the development of young players.
"It's a top competition, we had a really, really good experience in it last year and we found, especially in the new format, you play the games are all of a really high level," he said. "So, for us as staff, looking at where these players could potentially go, these are the kind of environments we want to see them in.
"Naturally the longer you stay in the competition, the better from a developer's point of view in terms of looking at what's in front of you and being able to judge and try and calculate what's next for these guys.
"It's a top competition, really look forward to it, something different, the environment, the stadiums, travelling, the refs, you know the level of player. So yes, it's a competition we really embrace and one that we know we really want to do as well as we can every year."
The prospect of doing well has taken a blow with back-to-back defeats. City were unfortunate to lose 2-1 in Villarreal, but a 3-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund at the Joie Stadium last time out was a major setback.
Unlike the Champions League proper, the Youth League league phase sees teams play six matches, so City have games left against Bayer Leverkusen at home and Real Madrid away. They head into next week's game in 20th in the table, with only the top 22 surviving the cut.
Leverkusen are only one point better off, while Real Madrid sit third with maximum points and 12 goals scored in four games. The last thing City want is to go to Madrid needing a result against their youngsters.
That makes Tuesday afternoon's clash with Leverkusen a huge one. Win and City should secure a spot in the competition after Christmas, but defeat will leave them looking vulnerable heading to the Spanish capital in December.