It seems unlikely that north Londoner TS Eliot was an Arsenal fan, but his poetry suggests otherwise.

“April is the cruelest month,” The Waste Land begins. “I cried and fasted, wept and prayed,” laments The Love Song by J. Alfred Prufrock. “So the challenge ends; not with a bang but with a whimper,” was probably the primary draft of The Hollow Men.

Sunday was a disappointing day, not only for Arsenal and Liverpool fans, but additionally for neutrals who desired to see the three-way battle for the title proceed. Liverpool's 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace and Arsenal's 2-0 loss to Villa leave Manchester City two points clear at the highest of the league, and Pep Guardiola's side are almost infallible as leaders.

“I already knew everything, knew everything,” moans Eliot. But keep your head up, Tommy. There remains to be hope.

Here are 10 completely realistic the reason why City could still lose points.

---

This is a serious article, so let's get serious. Can a team win the treble twice in a row? With injuries rising, fixtures tripling and emotions mounting, can City bounce back?

There's a reason why a triple – or perhaps a double – is so rare. Participating in multiple competitions has consequences. When the margins are so tight, fatigue, tactical planning and mental freshness are much more essential.

When cup competitions involve direct knockout games, league games against weaker opponents are naturally the games that may lose focus. City host Real Madrid within the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Wednesday, play Chelsea within the FA Cup three days later and travel to Brighton five days later.

Guardiola has already said City are in “big, big trouble” as a consequence of fatigue and injuries. So surely it is a reason for hope for Liverpool and Arsenal?

The Spurs

Won two, lost five. Has Guardiola ever had such a foul record? Compete against Lionel Messi within the crossbar challenge? Credit card roulette in Manchester's best restaurants? Family games from Uno?

City at all times had problems at Spurs. Their Premier League record in north London is worse than some other game. Yes, they could have beaten them within the FA Cup this January – but that tally doesn't include their Champions League quarter-final defeat in 2019.

There is a dark room in every manager's head where he stores his worst failures. Guardiola's incorporates a Beavertown brewery and a retractable NFL field.

Tottenham can have been overwhelmed by Newcastle, but each of their meetings with City this season have been close. They still have the Champions League ahead of them and won’t give in.

Is 30 goals in 37 games really a foul season? Since when, as Roy Keane suggested, have you ever been a League Two player? Anyway.

If Haaland doesn't rating for the remainder of the season, perhaps a conversation can be so as. For now, City's rivals will just need to hope the wheels come off.

Pep makes it too complicated

“I always think too much,” Guardiola said in 2022. “I always invent new tactics and ideas, and tomorrow you will see a new one.” I feel way an excessive amount of, that's why I get excellent results. I adore it.”

“When it works, I'm brave, when it doesn't work, I overthink things,” he added a year later. So go ahead – be brave.

If you're already playing four centre-backs, why stop?

Play a back four consisting of Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji, Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol. John Stones is practically already a central midfielder. Plonk Kyle Walker (yes, he can be considered a center back) on the right wing.

The rest of them? Remember Taylor Harwood-Bellis from Southampton and put him in the lead role as Andy Carroll. With a height of 196 cm (6 ft 5 in), Finley Burns has to be good in the net. Luke Mbete can return from Den Bosch and use his left foot from the left wing. 18-year-old Max Alleyne has been on the bench this season. Interested in joining Stones in Double Pivot? There is already talk about the technical quality of 16-year-old Stephen Mfuni. Put him in 10th place.

Guardiola believes in total football. They'll be fine. Once you've won everything, the only way left is to win better.

Forest's latest investment is finally paying off

Imagine the scenario: Nottingham Forest fighting for Premier League survival while keeping City at bay. Phil Foden finally puts them in the lead in the 71st minute. After 88 minutes, Chris Wood puts Forest back in the lead. Chaos.

But before the cheers die down, the whistle blows. VAR review. Suspected foul in the penalty area. The referee goes to the monitor. The City Ground has seen this story before. But then he spots something in the crowd – and walks away.

In the midst of the cheers, the fans pause for a moment. What caused the referee to change his mind? You look for an answer – and find it.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's Mark Clattenburg.

This superhero doesn't wear a cape, but Forest's referee advisor has regulations on the front and justice on the back. Gotham City is safe from PGMOL. The Premier League table is balanced again.

Rodri's break becomes a spot 12 months

Rodri has said he needs a break, but remember it is a player living the life-style of a university student. He lived in a student dormitory. He has a level in business administration. He drove a used Opel Corsa. He's only one step away from selling you £2 entry to Tuesday club nights at Pryzm.

“Spending time with young people who are just like you,” he told Manchester City’s website when asked why he thought university was one of the best time of his life. “Sometimes study and go out. It was good… a great time.”

But in recent months, given the intensity of the season – he has played 3,498 minutes for City in all competitions this season – a few of that purity should have been lost.

“I need a break,” he told reporters after City's 3-3 draw with Real Madrid, with the dazed expression of anyone who has attended a 9 a.m. lecture a couple of hangover.

Per week is certainly a brief break. But why not take three months? Why not end up? You're only in your twenties once. British Airways offers student discounts on flights. There is a world on the market to explore.

“Jarrod, how’s it going, then?”

“Gaffer? Gaffer? Gaffer? Moyesy?”

“Kalvin… how is the new apartment? Passport renewed?”

Declan Rice's phone bill has never been higher.

City hosts West Ham on the ultimate matchday. Until things get going, Rice can do little greater than mind his own business. So the true work begins beforehand. West Ham don’t have anything that matters – it's time for that to vary. Every negotiation card is on the table.

He sold his automobile to Lucas Paqueta. He is able to withdraw from the England squad in favor of Phillips. David Sullivan was promised his firstborn son. West Ham wins.

Roberto De Zerbi's unforgettable job interview

This season has been somewhat stalled for Brighton & Hove Albion, who sit tenth within the league and are winless in 4 games. Nevertheless, Roberto De Zerbi has been one of the crucial impressive managers of the last 18 months. Probably only Guardiola surpasses De Zerbi when it comes to pure, crazy tactical improvisation.

The big jobs are open in the summertime. Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Barcelona.

Brighton can have reported on Saturday that Brighton have gotten increasingly confident that De Zerbi will stay, but that comes against a backdrop of talks over a brand new contract being placed on hold and the coach having publicly been non-committal about his future.

Show fairly than tell is the primary rule of interviews – and De Zerbi has the chance to point out his tactical skills by outsmarting Guardiola.

City are initially concerned with Brighton's pioneering use of an overlapping sweeper and a pressing pattern based on the Fibonacci sequence, but are shocked by the inspired introduction of Jason Steele as a reverse trequartista.

Gary O'Neil's luck turns

Gary O'Neil seems an unlikely candidate for MTV's Welcome To My Crib, but let's imagine for a moment that he opens the doors to his Wolverhampton mansion.

The doormat is a four-leaf clover. As you enter, seven lucky cats wave at you. Rabbit feet hang from the kitchen beams. Mirrors are forbidden, explains O'Neil and demonstrates how he brushes his teeth within the reflection of the toilet window.

It smells almost overwhelmingly of incense.

No team has been more unlucky than the Wolves this season. O'Neil tried reason, he tried rationalization. He tried to avoid ladders. All that's left is faith… and Nathan Fraser.

Foden hits the crossbar. Jeremy Doku trips on his shoelaces. A wild punch from Max Kilman deflects off Hwang Hee-chan's butt. Molineux erupts.

City's 115 allegations come to a sudden end

The metaphorical hammer falls. White smoke rises from the ceiling of the Premier League headquarters. It was assumed that today can be months away – but a call was made.

City face 115 charges of breaching Premier League financial rules in nine different seasons. If they’re found guilty in at the least some cases, point deductions are a sensible end result.

Of course City will say that is unimaginable, probably the most ridiculous suggestion on this list. Ultimately, they vehemently deny the allegations and work hard to prove their innocence.