Four games in and Manchester City do not sit on top of the Premier League table.
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool are two points clear after their flawless start, with the Blues having come unstuck in their first home game of the season against Tottenham.
That result led midfielder Harry Winks to suggest Pep Guardiola’s side are vulnerable from set-pieces, while Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe felt a City defender could have been sent off at the Vitality Stadium and Manuel Pellegrini blamed tactical fouls after West Ham’s defeat.
Can the other contenders for the Premier League looking to stop City making it three titles in a row take inspiration from these chinks in the armour?
Not if most teams' statistics are anything to go by.
So far in attack City have managed the most shots (77), most shots on target (30) and most goals (14). In defence they have conceded the fewest number of shots (24) and only Everton and Crystal Palace have as many clean sheets (2). And in possession, they have had more touches (3,188) and made more passes (2483) than the other 19 teams.
That they are not the outstanding team in the most important measure of a team - points - may provide the slightest encouragement. But Guardiola's side have dropped just five Premier League points in the whole of 2019 because they have been able to outperform every team they have come up against, and the longer they dominate in these metrics the more likely they are to find themselves in top spot.
