Pep Guardiola gave Man City their perfect Christmas present after brief contract scare

There will have been some hearts in mouths when Pep Guardiola sat down for his post-match press conference at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium on Friday night and declared: "I had a feeling the job was done, it was over."

Was the Manchester City manager really about to sensationally quit moments after taking his side to their highest-ever point as Club World Cup champions? The signs were there, before the semi-final he spoke of the Club World Cup 'closing the circle' of his time at City, with all the trophies available to win now won. Surely not. Not now.

"The last eight years it’s over," Guardiola said, but crucially, he quickly began talking about starting a new chapter. "Now it’s Christmas time, buy another book and start to write it again." And breathe.

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The Club World Cup win would serve as a fitting final chapter to any books being written about Guardiola's transformational reign at City. It's not the biggest or best trophy they will win, but it gives them the status they have been craving since 2008 - to be the best team in the world.

It's a full circle moment, just over 25 years to the day that they lost to York in the third division. City fans have sung their dreams into reality - now they really are the best team in all the land and all the world.

For Guardiola, the talk of closing circles and finishing the job will always carry risk. City fans will be forever grateful to their manager, but also well aware (and fearful) that the day will come when he leaves. He could have decided to leave in