Not for the first time this season, Pep Guardiola has played a direct role in a Manchester City goal. During an early break in play against Brighton, he called Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland for a chat, before frantically bringing Ederson and Ruben Dias into the conversation. The discussion was animated, and the players were keen to understand exactly what the manager was asking of them.
In subsequent breaks, Guardiola continued a back-and-forth with Bernardo over his positioning, before Ederson found Haaland with a brilliant assist down the middle for City's opener after Dias and Bernardo created space. Could that have been a goal inspired by Guardiola's mid-game tactical chat?
There were question marks over whether Bernardo was looking for contact to win his penalty, or whether the defender initiated it. And further questions over why play restarted for a good couple of minutes before VAR recommended the referee looked at the incident to give a spot-kick.
There were no doubts over the penalty, though, as Haaland hammered the ball into the bottom corner to double City's lead and make it 600 Premier League goals under Pep Guardiola. After a similarly confident spot-kick at West Ham, and Riyad Mahrez's tame effort at Copenhagen, the Algerian watched on as Haaland converted this one, and the number nine should be the unquestionable penalty taker going forward.
This week's pre-match surprise was the absence of Phil Foden from the starting line-up, with Jack Grealish and Mahrez preferred on the wings as Guardiola went with a more familiar system than his failed experiment at Liverpool.
It felt like Mahrez and Grealish were being auditioned for one wing spot at Borussia Dortmund in midweek, and Grealish might have edged that battle. Foden's place on the bench may also be a sign that he was being rested for Tuesday's game. Also on the bench were Ilkay Gundogan and Nathan Ake, who may also have been saved for the Champions League.
In the whole of last season's Premier League campaign, no City player scored more than Kevin De Bruyne's 15 goals. When Haaland left Adam Webster on the floor and rolled the ball into the empty net, he had his 16th in just 11 appearances in the league. Then he added a 17th for good fortune as he looks to chase Mahrez's total of 24 in all competitions last term.
Haaland has now scored in his last six home games, and City have extended their record of scoring three or more goals in 10 top-flight home games now. Even when not playing at their best, City are extending records and doing enough to win again.
City returned to their usual system against Brighton and quickly put the Liverpool off-day behind them. This was more fluid than last week and a useful confidence booster after the first defeat of the campaign last time out.
Add Liverpool's dismal defeat at Nottingham Forest into the mix and City are now 10 points ahead of Jurgen Klopp's side with both having played the same number. Guardiola joked that he has more faith in Liverpool than Klopp does when insisting they remain title contenders. Saturday's results may have undone any progress Liverpool made last week and put City back on the right track at the first attempt.