Richard Jolly's column looks at how Manchester City continue to talk and play like a side that has lost nothing. There is defiance in the club's public messaging, a refusal to accept that their dominance is slipping. Jolly sees something close to delusion as well, the sense that City expect rivals to fold simply because they always have. Pep Guardiola and his players keep insisting the season is theirs to rescue, even as results suggest otherwise. Rivals respond to this stubbornness with a mix of irritation and fear, since City have punished doubters before. The columnist argues the attitude can cut both ways, fuelling comebacks and blinding the club to real problems. Opposing fans erupt at every City stumble partly because arrogance of that kind invites it. Whether the defiance ages into a great recovery or a slow decline is the question hanging over the club.