Manchester City's slender victory against Paris Saint-Germain in the quarterfinals of the Champions League taught us many things. It taught us the lack of competition in French domestic football might act as a brake on the ambitions of the Qatari project in the city of light. It taught us that Eliaquim Mangala and Nicolas Otamendi are not entirely devoid of talent and that Kevin de Bruyne is £56 million extremely well-spent.
It taught us, too, that the most powerful force in all of football is irony, as witnessed by Manuel Pellegrini guiding City into uncharted territory in his final few weeks as the club's manager.