After the disappointing end to August, September had the potential to turn into a crisis for Manchester City and manager Pep Guardiola.
City had concerns after suffering successive Premier League defeats against Tottenham and Brighton before the international break, but have responded in style with four victories in five games. All is rosy in the Guardiola garden again.
His side had to battle hard for Saturday's 5-1 victory against Burnley - whose boss Scott Parker felt the scoreline was "harsh" - with two Maxime Esteve own goals and Erling Haaland netting twice late on.
But just as champions and Premier League leaders Liverpool threatened to run away with the title, they suffered a last-gasp loss at Crystal Palace, which allowed City to claw back the deficit to five points.