Man City are building a new Premier League reputation after losing control

First, the bad news.

Manchester City have lost one of their biggest strengths: the ability to hold on to leads and win games is no more. Where last year the champions surrendered a lead just nine times in 38 Premier League matches - and not once between drawing at Nottingham Forest in February and winning the title in May - Saturday's game at Newcastle means it is already 10 times in 20 matches this season.

There is a sense around the league that Pep Guardiola's side may be more vulnerable after a summer of change at the Etihad, that there is no longer the air of inevitability and supremacy about them that means opponents accept defeat when they go behind. That has been shown by Crystal Palace coming from two goals down to earn a draw away from home, or Arsenal scoring late and decisive goals in both the league and the Community Shield.

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But here's the bad news for everyone else: City are making that irrelevant. The transition to the latest iteration of the team may still be ongoing - not helped by injuries to key players - but the Blues have already adapted to make up for their failure to protect leads.

Saturday was the third consecutive away game in the Premier League where City have trailed at half-time and won the game, becoming just the fourth side in competition history to achieve that. Add in the West Ham game in September and they have done that four times in 11 away games.

If they have already gone behind more times and squandered leads more times than last season in basically half the number of games, they have also already recovered