IS IT TIME TO FOCUS On THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE?

Nowhere lately, not even in Donald Trump’s wildest dreams, has there been so much winning. But after the 100-point campaign of 2017-18 was followed by a domestic clean sweep, this might be the year when less is more.

Some might say City don’t really need to pick their battles, coming three wins short of a quintuple despite spending months without the injured Kevin De Bruyne. Many, though, would urge Pep Guardiola to prioritise the Blues’ only remaining unscratched itch.

City would be far more likely to win the Champions League if they played fewer competitive games: 60 in 2018-19, seven more than Liverpool. There’s a strong case for giving the domestic cups to a Phil Foden-led side of youth and fringe players.

At the sharp end of the Champions League, Pep can’t just trade blows and hope to pummel his opponents to defeat. Across his three seasons, City have won just two of the five knockout rounds; in the three they lost, they conceded 15 goals.

Calm must be paramount, from a manager criticised for overthinking his team selections, but also some of the players. In the fateful quarter-final second leg at home to Tottenham, two of the season’s most reliable performers, Ederson and Aymeric Laporte, joined the ranks of City players to have wobbled in Europe.

The record against the competition’s elite remains alarming: three wins in 18 games against Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Liverpool and Real Madrid, with a combined 52 final appearances between them.

Yet City deserve belief. Only one team last term took more shots per Champions League game, and only one conceded fewer efforts on goal. Tight decisions swung the knockouts by Spurs and, the previous year, Liverpool. The form during the domestic run-in shows City can stifle teams and close out games.

Guardiola might go all-in because the time is now: David Silva departs at the end of this season, Sergio Aguero is 31 and City face a possible European ban in 2020-21. Joining Huddersfield, Arsenal, Liverpool and United as the only clubs to win three successive league titles might be the tougher and thus most rewarding task. But what a send-off it would be for Silva to win the only trophy missing from his CV.

And how much more satisfying than always booing the Champions League anthem would it be for City supporters to see UEFA officials grim-faced as the little magician lifted their big cup into the Istanbul night?