Pep Guardiola will face an intriguing test to gain his first taste of silverware at the Etihad Stadium, as Manchester City were drawn with the giant-killing Bristol City in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup.
Looking to avoid similar fate to neighbours across the way
It has been an excellent start to the campaign for Guardiola's men on all fronts, but the one thing that continues to deceive the Catalan since his arrival in Eastlands last summer has been silverware and it is the Carabao Cup that presents itself as the first opportunity to change that.
City were pushed to the very limit on Tuesday as Leicester City took them to penalties as Bernardo Silva's opener was cancelled out deep into added time with Jamie Vardy's penalty, but it was the English striker's miss along with a save from Claudio Bravo for Riyad Mahrez's penalty that secured the visitors’ semi-final place with their 4-3 shoot-out victory.
The Citizens have already struggled against Championship opposition this season as they were also taken to the limit by league leaders Wolverhampton Wanderers, and certainly look they could be facing even tougher opposition in Lee Johnson's men.
Bristol City have been bang in form but knew they faced a tough test when the holders Manchester United arrived at Ashton Gate, and it looked like it would be a tough night with Zlatan Ibrahimović and Marcus Rashford hitting the woodwork early on.
However the Bristonian's held their energy throughout and managed to take the lead with Luke Bryan's excellent effort which was quickly cancelled out by Ibrahimović's free-kick, it looked like it would be heading the same way as Tuesday's clash but Korey Smith's effort that saw them defy the odds with the 2-1 victory.
The first leg will be held at the Etihad Stadium on either 9/10 January, with the return in Bristol on 23/24 January.
Rightfully put behind bars
Though it seems up is the only way for City at the moment there has been a recent tinge of darkness, as it was reported before the 4-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur that in-form starlet Raheem Sterling was subject to a horrendous racial attack.
However some justice has been served as the man behind the act has been subjected to 16 weeks in prison, as Karl Anderson pleaded guilty to racially aggravated common assault in Salford Magistrate's Court on Wednesday.
CCTV was shown to the court of Anderson driving his van alongside Sterling's vehicle as he waited to enter the Etihad Complex, he began by shouting racial abuse at Sterling before kicking the 23-year-old in the legs on four occasions.
Chairman of the bench Diana Webb-Hobson said: "This was an entirely unprovoked attack. You stopped your car and you got out."
"The personal statement was very moving," Webb-Hobson concluded. "We find injury was sustained."