Manchester City had a watching brief this week. For the first time since September, there was no midweek fixture for the Blues.

Pep Guardiola's side were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Tottenham in October- a result that started a dismal run that City have not managed to shake off. As a result, City were not involved in the quarter final ties played this week and were afforded the chance to rest, recover and reset ahead of the hectic Christmas period.

Guardiola has spoken often about the schedule this season with City involved in the expanded Club World Cup next summer and facing a mammoth 12-month campaign on the back of the 2024 European Championships where four Blues played in the final.

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The concertinaed nature of the fixture list, coupled with City's relatively small squad, has prompted Guardiola to admit he will likely need more bodies to be able to cope. That may see signings in January, a window City try to avoid where possible, and any additions would provide a welcome boost for a club clinging on to the coat-tails in the Premier League and Champions League.

And as City prepare for a December and January period that will define their season in three competitions, Guardiola's rivals will face fixture chaos in the New Year.

Premier League leaders Liverpool and title contenders Arsenal both booked their spot in the last four of the League Cup in midweek, with wins over Southampton and Crystal Palace respectively. Those semi-finals remain over two legs, while the pair could yet be pitted against each other in Thursday's draw.

Both will be targeting the trophy with Arne Slot no doubt keen to make his mark at Anfield by capturing silverware in his first campaign, while one of the accusations levelled at an Arsenal side who have finished second to City in the past two Premier League seasons, is that they have little to show for the efforts in terms of trophies.

But their League Cup progress comes at a cost. The semi finals take place on January 6 and February 3, adding to matches in an already busy and pivotal time of year. City have been spared that added headache and play a relatively routine eight games between New Year's Day and FA Cup round four weekend on February 8. That includes two crucial Champions League fixtures and a trip to Arsenal in the Premier League.

But the Gunners now have nine matches in January alone, with the second leg of their League Cup semi-final coming hot on the heels of that crunch clash with City in February, making it 11 matches in a shade over a month. They also face Manchester United in the FA Cup third round, have a North London Premier League derby and two Champions League fixtures where points are required to secure a top eight spot.

Liverpool, meanwhile, have eight games in January and a further two before the FA Cup fixtures in February, albeit the Merseysiders have all but guaranteed their spot in the top eight of the Champions League and face League Two side Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup, potentially allowing for more rest and rotation to manage the increased workload.

City will be focused on themselves for the foreseeable as they seek to get their campaign back on track, but for once the schedule grumbles apply elsewhere and Guardiola and Co will be afforded a manageable chance to hit the ground running in 2025.