Feyenoord fans had enjoyed their march to the game from the city centre and were happy to pour salt in City wounds off the pitch as they chanted for Arne Slot and sang You'll Never Walk Alone. That roused anger from the home ends and felt like another way in which the once almighty conquerors had been bumped back down to ordinary.

The signs were unmistakably there on the pitch again, with Ilkay Gundogan creative in building attacks but again dispossessed and bypassed too easily when he tried to prevent them. After half an hour, Ederson had to boot the ball aimlessly high up the pitch under pressure in a sight that can't be seen more than a few times a season but shows the struggle the team are battling through.

The next time the ball would be booted with that ferocity it came from Erling Haaland just after he had put City ahead in the game. The first half was tapering out when a soft penalty was given following a scramble at a City corner, and the Norwegian duly dispatched the spot-kick - becoming the youngest to ever score 45 Champions League goals in the process.

Haaland had hit the penalty with power, but he absolutely lashed the ball back into the net as it came out in what marked an unusual celebration for him and felt like a release. He would not have had such a burden on him this season if more teammates had been capable of finding the net.

The fortune from the penalty was followed by a stroke of luck at the beginning of the second half and a goal that did not come from City's No.9. Gundogan's effort from a corner would surely have tested goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther but the way the ball deflected off David Hancko made it a certain goal.

After so many games recently where they have been poor in the second half - in their last Champions League game at Sporting in particular - here was another welcome release for City and they jumped at it with both hands. Within minutes, Gundogan had set Matheus Nunes free to run clear and cross for Haaland to finish a move that the Blues would be proud of in their pomp.

Here they were, not just winning but winning comfortably. Up to fifth in the Champions League table (albeit having played a game more than half of the 36 teams), things looked a lot more rosy.

So of course it didn't end that way. Anis Hadj Moussa capitalised on an awful Gvardiol pass to round Ederson in the 75th minutes and after putting the home team on the ropes Feyenoord made things more interesting with Santiago Gimenez taking advantage of more sloppy defending.

Everything was tight again, and the tension returned to the stands. Even from a position of such comfort, City had shown yet again how brittle they are. Guardiola sensed this, clapping above his head as the second Feyenoord goal went in to try and bolster a side that had seen all of the confidence drain from them.

It didn't work. Again. The ball was chipped over the top, Ederson came out rashly and Hancko was there to head in Paixao's cross ahead of Lewis for a remarkable comeback and another sorry display for City; a team photo on the pitch after the game from Feyenoord felt like a proper humbling.

Avoiding a sixth consecutive defeat is little consolation for another defeat that has left them numb. Guardiola may be worried about player fatigue but right now City look like they are heading for the nightmare scenario of at least two extra games in the form of a play-off to reach the Champions League last-16.

Before that, they have to stop more pain coming domestically - starting at Anfield on Sunday. Wounded like they have never known, City have never more needed a release.