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If results before an international break always carried a little extra weight, then Manchester City's players will jet off for duty without any extra baggage today.

This weekend couldn't have gone much better for Pep Guardiola's side, who made it three wins in a week at the Etihad with a statement success against the champions. It was the first time they had beaten Liverpool or Arsenal in the league since April 2023, when they dismantled both here on their way to the treble.

Liverpool's own mini-resurgence was checked in Manchester. The relief of wins against Aston Villa and Real Madrid dissolving in a deluge and their title defence now looks a lost cause already.

It is Arsenal who will remain favourites, but their draw with Sunderland might just have exposed old frailties.

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