In a less than fluent manner, Manchester City secured their place in the Champions League round of 16 with a stuttering, tentative 1-1 draw at Borussia Monchengladbach on Wednesday.
Gone -- for the time being at least -- are those early days of fluid passing, high intensity pressing and scintillating football. This was really hard work from the first minute to the last.
If the 3-1 victory over Barcelona earlier in the month had been intense and rewarding in its denouement, suddenly City have succeeded in thrusting the supporters back into the dark grey passages of doubt.
They were always likely to finish second behind Barcelona in a well-balanced Group C, so it could be argued that little damage has been done at this stage, but the nature of the away performances so far in this season's tournament have been alarming.
Three goals shipped at Celtic Park in a truly topsy-turvy game that City never had even half under control, another four at the Camp Nou in a match that exploded in their faces, all topped off with a jittery advance in Germany means there's work to do. Seldom will Guardiola have seen his own defence concede so regularly and look so vulnerable in doing so.
With two red cards, Lars Stindl for the hosts and Fernandinho for City, drawing a great deal of the competitiveness out of the two teams, Guardiola's men closed the game playing keep-ball across the backline for much of a tepid second half. Ambitions had dwindled to this. Both sides, aware of greater trials to come, kept their powder well and truly dry.
So, now the wait for the knockout draw can start.
It may well be that finishing second in Group C is not as bad as it might at first have been considered. Bayern Munich's dramatic collapse in their 3-2 defeat to Rostov means they will finish second, while some of the other prospective group winners will hold little fear for City if they can re-find something approaching their early season form.
The likes of Monaco, Napoli, Benfica and Paris Saint-Germain would be welcome knockout round foes if it means Bayern, Barcelona, Real Madrid and their ilk have been sidestepped. Of the likely rivals, only Atletico Madrid and Juventus might be considered worth "saving for later".
Guardiola's current preoccupation must be with the way City have lost their verve. It was there for all to see at the start of the campaign, with a European night in Bucharest that promised so much for the season. Despite missing two penalties, City still managed to rack up a 5-0 win away from home against Steaua in a difficult, hostile environment.
Since then, however, with the obvious exception of a magical night at home to Barcelona, it has been an unnecessarily tough slog for this talented squad. Even the Barcelona game witnessed a first half onslaught from the visitors that might have finished City off by half time, were it not for the fortuitous equaliser before half time.
With City once again experimenting with a three-man defence in Germany, the packed lines of midfield gave them strong possession against Borussia, but also left Sergio Aguero looking like a little boy lost up front. Not for the first time this season, it must be said. When the ball did make its way to him, his first touch was found wanting.
With the defence looking uncertain and Claudio Bravo in goal throwing one inept clearance straight to a Borussia attacker, all was not well at the back either. On the back of these exertions, City have little time to prepare for an early weekend fixture with Burnley. Premier League points are now paramount to a title bid that must start to take on proper shape and form in the coming weeks. Guardiola will be pleased he can suddenly call on luxury reserves like Yaya Toure to come in for the tired legs of those that performed in midweek.
After the wondrous arrival of Leicester at the top of the table last season, 2016-17 is also shaping up to be a strange affair. Tottenham, having thoroughly shredded City at White Hart Lane in October, have appeared utterly incapable of doing the same to lesser mortals; Chelsea started uncertainly and now look majestic under the manic guidance of Antonio Conte; Arsenal continue to flatter to deceive in their time-honoured fashion and Liverpool's high energy game seems to link incredible vivacity with an any-minute-now fragility.
Nobody has yet stamped their authority on this season, as we drift towards the first high water mark -- that much heralded "busy Christmas period".
If City are to take this season by the scruff of the neck, you get the feeling that much work still lies ahead.