Pep Guardiola has looked a broken man at times this season.
A bloke so used to winning, he doesn't know how to behave when losing gatecrashes his life. He scratched his own head in sheer frustration, and being forced to apologise for appearing to make light of doing so.
He ranted about needing 40-man squads to cope with injuries. He taunted Liverpool about them not being able to match Manchester City's total of 100 points in a season.
He admitted he wasn't good enough to solve his team's problems. While the odd cool box has taken a good kicking at various stages, from a manager appearing to live right on the edge.
And within minutes of this game kicking off against Newcastle, the Spaniard was doing his best Basil Fawlty impression on the sidelines. Ranting and raving at his defence following some carless play out from the back. If he hadn't been so successful, it would be tempting to feel sorry for him.
All of the above had even led to growing speculation Guardiola would consider standing down in the summer. Accepting the toll it takes on people not satisfied unless they are still at the top, looking down on the rest.
Then just like that, along came the shot in the arm Guardiola needed. That rush of adrenaline that represents the kind of footballing drug people like Guardiola remain hooked on.
And the fact it came from an Egyptian few City fans were familiar with a few weeks ago, appeared to provide Guardiola with the ultimate high. This might be because, on this evidence, he appears to have got one of his most recent signings right.
The jury is still out on Nico Gonazalez and Abdukodir Khusanov, while the return of Ilkay Gundogan last summer has been an unmitigated disaster.
But in the space of barely half-an-hour, Omar Marmoush proved he has what it takes to be the next star of the show in the blue half of Manchester and beyond.
When Marmoush's third goal went in, Guardiola resembled someone who had won the Champions League. In that thick winter coat of his, Guardiola raised both fists into the air and pumped them furiously towards the skies.
He resembled someone who had fallen back in love with the game again. Instead of someone dreading what it had in store for him next.
Maybe he was thanking God for sending him a saviour. Because that's what Marmoush resembled as he terrorised his opponent at will, while breathing new fire into the bellies of those team-mates around him.
Just like what happened in the good old days, City had destroyed a team with ease, with a brand of scintillating football their rivals just couldn't stop. Kieran Trippier was left with twisted blood as Marmoush ran him ragged. And Guardiola was left with a huge smile on his face.
He was in such a good mood he even apologised to fourth official Tim Robinson for overstepping the mark outside his technical area. But because this is City of 2025, there is still a 'but'.
Newcastle are not Real Madrid. Not even close. So much so, that all Newcastle probably achieved here was to lure the English champions into a false sense of security. City have been here before.
In January they thumped Ipswich, then got the same treatment themselves at Paris Saint Germain. Later that month they scored three in a win against Club Brugge, then took a five goal pasting at Arsenal next time out.
Real will be nowhere near as accommodating as Eddie Howe's team were this weekend. Quite the opposite, in fact, because not even the great Guardiola is allowed to get in the way of the Spanish giant's divine right to win the Champions League.
So Guardiola might have his mojo back for now. But come Wednesday night, his love of the beautiful game might have turned to loathing again.
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