This is what Pep Guardiola wanted when he was so annoyed.
Back in January, after Manchester City had been booed off by some supporters at half-time as they fell 2-0 behind against Tottenham, the manager coated off his players to their faces and then did it in the media. Asked why he was going public as he savaged the "happy flowers team", he said he wanted a reaction.
Saturday's win over Leicester showed just how emphaticly everyone has responded. Two goals inside the opening 13 minutes set up a 3-1 win to close to within three points of Arsenal at the top of the league, yet it was everything that went into the performance that was so impressive.
Also read: Man City player ratings vs Leicester as Grealish and Stones shine
It started, on a sunny evening that made the horrendous rain on Tuesday seem even more ridiculous, with the fans. The home support had already been singing for John Stones when the centre-back lashed in a bouncing ball like he was Erling Haaland to whip up even more noise in the stadium; the Norwegian was straight over to his teammate to show his appreciation for the strike.
Jack Grealish wanted a penalty soon after for a foul on the edge of the box and while nothing was given but a corner, Leicester's failure to clear their lines allowed Grealish to whip the ball back in where Wilfred Ndidi punched it away. The referee again was unmoved despite the many City players in his face, only for VAR to tell him to have another look at the monitor.
Even before Darren England had had a chance to change his mind, Haaland took hold of the ball and Bernardo Silva went to the penalty spot to stop Leicester's Victor Kristiansen from scuffing it up. City's No.9 then stroked home his 46th goal of the season and Leicester's game plan was in ruins after just 13 minutes.
The two goals had turned a potentially difficult tie against an opponent sticking 11 men behind the ball into a stroll of an evening that served as the perfect warm-up for Bayern Munich away. In contrast, Thomas Tuchel declared himself "absolutely unhappy" with their performance in a 1-1 draw with Stuttgart as he blasted a wasted opportunity to install some belief for the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final.
"Today we definitely took a step back," he said. "It was actually the moment to take a step forward and gain confidence. We didn't succeed in any of that. It's very surprising."
Asked what positives they could take into the game on the back of their Bundesliga performance, defender Matthijs de Ligt responded bluntly that it couldn't get any worse. With Sadio Mane made unavailable for selection after punching Leroy Sane in the changing rooms at the Etihad, it doesn't make for a happy camp in Bavaria.
As much as City's success against Leicester was down to their goals, it was the unity between the players and fans that was so far removed from their nadir of the season in January when Guardiola was so publicly peeved. Everyone worked together to make their quality show.
After the early two-goal platform, and with Leicester still refusing to show anything, City could do whatever they wanted. They got a third inside 25 minutes when Haaland latched onto a Kevin De Bruyne ball and finished well to equal Mo Salah's record for the most Premier League goals (32) in a 38-game campaign.
Haaland did not get an opportunity to score again though, withdrawn along with fellow goalscorer Stones at half-time in a further sign that this game was long over as a contest; Julian Alvarez and Manu Akanji came on, with Kalvin Phillips replacing Rodri not long after. Nathan Ake and Ilkay Gundogan enjoyed a full 90 minutes watching from the bench, while De Bruyne and Grealish were also taken off.
Unsurprisingly given the quality of the players taken off, City struggled to do much in the second half. Riyad Mahrez tested Daniel Iversen with a whipped shot from the edge of the box but that was about as close as they came to another goal. And when Kalvin Phillips got in the way of Ederson at a corner, it left former City striker Kelechi Iheanacho with a simple tap-in to add a consolation.
City remained slack, with Guardiola watching play on his knees as he looked on uncomfortably in the final 15 minutes, urging his team to play higher up the pitch. If Bayern are looking for any crumbs of comfort from a dispiriting week for them, they may try to see if there is anything from the poor end to the game that can be exposed in Munich.
The result was never in doubt though, and a 10th straight win in all competitions sets the Blues up not only for their two cup games next week but also for their continued assault on the Premier League title. With eight league games to go, it remains in City hands even if Arsenal can also say the same.
The difference from that night in January that saw the manager sound off could hardly seem starker. From a team down on not just confidence but the basics demanded of them by the coaching staff, City have found a way back to being a team capable of winning anything they want.
That is what Bayern are up against on Wednesday night when they look to produce a Champions League miracle, and it is what Arsenal now realise they face as they look to hold their nerve in the Premier League title race. If the quality in this City side isn't daunting enough, the teamwork they are now showing has added another level.
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