Only four days ago, Bristol City headed home from the Etihad empty handed but with compliments aplenty from pundits and Pep Guardiola alike.
Unfortunately for Lee Johnson's promotion-chasing side, much of the creativity and ambition that took Manchester City to the brink appears to have remained 170 miles further up the M5.
Instead at Ashton Gate on Saturday, it was mid-table Norwich, supposedly starved of their best player, who will deservedly earn the plaudits.
The absence of Alex Pritchard, signed this week by Huddersfield, looked to be costly for much of the afternoon as counter attack after counter attack was wasted by the visitors.