Manchester City’s tired legs could change their otherwise sensible stance on signing Alexis Sanchez

Small squads do not win quadruples and they rarely go through entire league campaigns unbeaten either. Perhaps it is time for City to swallow their pride

Pep Guardiola's side finally came outstuck when up against Liverpool (Getty)

On Sunday morning, Manchester City’s stance on Alexis Sanchez made a lot of sense. The Premier League leaders were only willing to pay a fair price for a player that can hardly be described ‘essential’ considering their healthy lead at the top of the table and the talent already at their disposal.

Money may be no object at the Etihad but it would not be spent for spending’s sake. To do so would set a precedent to other clubs when they sit around the negotiating table with City, who overpaid for several players in the early days of the Sheikh Mansour era and have slowly corrected themselves in the years since.

Sense, unfortunately, is an alien body in the transfer market at the best of times and it is liable to be thrown out of the window on the back of one bad result.

It would be an exaggeration to say that this defeat at Anfield alone provides cause to move for the Sanchez. Leroy Sané, for example, showed that Guardiola already has game-changing players in his squad to call upon when needed. The tricky winger stirred City out of their first-half slumber with a fantastic equaliser five minutes before the break, injecting life into a previously lifeless performance.

The problem is that those game-changing players have played a lot of football recently and despite the range of reasons behind the club hierarchy’s stance on Sanchez, the most compelling argument in favour of meeting Arsenal’s demands was on display from the first to the last minute here.

During City’s long winning run and the indeed the long unbeaten run, the biggest danger to the Premier League leaders was that fatigue may eventually catch up with them. Pep Guardiola prefers to work with small squads, prioritising tactical flexibility in his players, believing that their footballing intelligence will be enough to plug holes in the squad and see them through.

Unfortunately, small squads do not win quadruples. They rarely go through entire league campaigns unbeaten either and it was telling that the blame for Liverpool’s first goal, scored by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, could be placed on Fabian Delph, a central midfielder that has been forced to fill in at left-back since September.

At the other end of the pitch, Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero may be first-choice players playing in their natural positions, but injuries or a lack of alternatives in reserve have left them looking tired. This was Sterling’s 13th consecutive appearance in the Premier League, a run stretching back to late October. He has started all but two of those games. Aguero is Guardiola’s only fit, natural striker.

Perhaps it is unsurprising that it is now, after the most gruelling Christmas schedule in Premier League’s recent history, that City’s few vulnerabilities are beginning to show. The problem is, their schedule remains unrelenting. Just as most other top-flight teams prepare for a period of relative rest, City’s next five games come in the space of 21 days. Their failure to put Bristol City to the sword last week means the long trip to Ashton Gate for the EFL Cup semi-final second leg cannot be written off.

Stones had a poor game and struggled against Firmino (Getty)

The arrival of one or two reinforcements before 31 January would help to mitigate the effects of tiredness on a group of players that Guardiola demands so much from. A centre-back would certainly help ease the workload on John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi, who have little in the way of reliable cover behind them.

And then what of Sanchez? Yes, £35m is a lot of money to pay for a 29-year-old who will be available for nothing in a few months’ time. His requested £400,000-a-week would damage City’s wage structure too. But perhaps both these facts are outweighed by the relief he would offer to a forward line that is beginning to show signs of strain. Having stood firm on Sunday, and for good reason, Monday may see City swallow their pride.