As if Manchester City do not have enough on their plate with the fixture list, circumstances put a stadium in their path to success for the Champions League quarter-final.
The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has been reverently gushed about as if it is a mix between the Sagrada Familia and the Colosseum: beautiful and brutal.
It is neither of those things, but it did give Mauricio Pochettino's team some hope as they looked to end a run of three successive defeats against the Premier League champions.
As good as Pep Guardiola's side have been for the last two years, and as much as they have enjoyed themselves against Tottenham since that 2-0 defeat at the old White Hart Lane back in 2016, it was hard to imagine that they would not be troubled playing one of the best teams in the country Pep Guardiola has to take the rap as Man City lose Champions League first leg vs Tottenham Hotspur.
And while they tried to downplay the atmosphere ahead of the game, there is no doubt that they would much rather have played the game at Wembley.
The home team fed off the atmosphere created in their new home and the noise swelled as the hosts put in a performance brimming with effort and pace to pen City back and keep them on the edge of their seats. It was no Anfield, but it was tough for the Blues - especially after Sergio Aguero wasted the opportunity to take early control of the game.
This was Guardiola's side as we so rarely see them: frantic, scampering, rash, and showing signs of feeling the pressure of both the occasion and coming up against an excellent challenge. A whistle-happy referee added to the chaos.
Son's winning goal may have been against the run of play at that time but with the number of errors in the game it was no surprise that one was finally punished.
For the first time since the end of January, City have lost a game of football - yet it is not the end of the world. Grit got them through the last 15 minutes to avoid a collapse that has cost them dearly before.
Guardiola has said his team will have to suffer in their near-impossible pursuit of the Quadruple, and they certainly did here - but no lead has been lost and no trophies surrendered.
Now they can reset the pressure and prepare for two upcoming tests with Spurs (after Crystal Palace away) knowing that Pochettino's side have already played their trump card with the stadium and only have a slender advantage to show for it.
City may be down, but having seriously threatened to reverse a 3-0 scoreline against Liverpool last season they will still fancy their chances in an environment they are much more at home in.
Man City's Champions League odds after Tottenham Hotspur defeat
Pep Guardiola has to take the rap as Man City lose Champions League first leg vs Tottenham Hotspur
