Erik ten Hag will have a different task on his hands this week as he looks to rebuild any confidence in his Manchester United players that might have been damaged ahead of their trip to Arsenal.
It is a credit to how well United have done in recent weeks that their draw with Crystal Palace in midweek felt like somewhat of a title blow, when in reality they have perhaps never truly been in the race.
Ten Hag has consistently asked for patience after being bombarded with questions about whether his side can really compete to win the league this season, and having now played half of the schedule, we've got a fairer reflection on where they really are.
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The United manager has regularly refused to indulge in needless title chat at such an early stage of the season, and even after the huge win over City last weekend, he was quick to point out the work that still needed to be done before such conversations could be entertained.
"The fans may dream [of the title] but we're not. We have to keep our feet on the ground and face that in our game there's a lot to improve," he said.
"It can't happen that after half time [against City] we're losing so much control in the game, for instance, and then getting down. It's not necessary. In top football small details have a big impact and we have to keep working on that and keep investing in that."
At the midway point of their domestic campaign, Ten Hag's side sit third in the table, with a six-point cushion over Tottenham in fifth but still eight points off leaders Arsenal, who also have a game in hand against City to play.
United's ultimate goal for this campaign was to secure a top-four finish and return to the riches of the Champions League, something they are on course to do, and that would represent a truly successful season.
They have also reached the last four of the Carabao Cup and are the favourites to lift the trophy, while they are also in the fourth round of the FA Cup and have a favourable home draw against Reading next week.
Sure, the draw against Palace was disappointing, but there needs to be a sense of perspective about just how far United have come in such a short space of time.
One of the reasons behind United's excellent rise up the table in recent weeks has been their ability to grind out results, and the draw with Palace still felt quite similar to a lot of the games they have won this season.
There were equally shaky moments against Southampton, West Ham and Wolves in recent memory, all games in which David de Gea made big saves and a single goal was enough to secure the three points.
This time, though, the fine margins went against United. They could have had a penalty for a clumsy tackle on Scott McTominay and Michael Olise's free-kick was taken from a much closer position to the goal than it should have been.
Over the course of a season, these decisions often level themselves out, and only days after being on the receiving end of a very generous refereeing decision, they were soon on the other end of one.
In the long run, it could well suit United that they are not one of the frontrunners for the title, allowing them to go about their business quietly while Arsenal and City fight it out for the top prize.
United might not be in the title race now, but they are laying the foundations to be heavily involved in the next one.
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