Manchester City have hit their best run of form of the season because the players are embracing the tightrope of knowing a defeat will be terminal to their hopes in one of the three competitions they are still in.
That is the view of manager Pep Guardiola after he watched his side beat Burnley 6-0 to book their place in the FA Cup quarter-finals, keeping their hopes of a treble alive.
City face Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals and have little room for manoeuvre in the Premier League as they try and hunt down Arsenal at the top. READ MORE: 'His joy of life' - Guardiola on Haaland's unseen trait But that sense of jeopardy is bringing out the best in the Blues, who have now won six games in a row and have kept five successive clean sheets.
After thrashing RB Leipzig in midweek they've now scored 13 goals in two matches. Asked why his team had clicked into gear, Guardiola said: "I had the feeling the players know we cannot lose otherwise will be over and when you have this urgency we can mount our best.