Manchester City's mid-season report card reads: good, but could do better. Erling Haaland has laughed off any doubts that he'd be able to adapt to the Premier League since arriving in England, and Pep Guardiola's side have produced some scintillating football at times.
Despite that, not everything has been rosy. Defeats to an out-of-form Liverpool and lowly Brentford have proved that they are far from invincible, while several big-money signings are yet to fulfil their potential.
That said, they are safely through to the last 16 of the Champions League and have a favourable draw against RB Leipzig to come early in 2023 as they finally aim to end their wait for European silverware.
So, as City prepare to make their return to action following the mid-season break for the World Cup, here are the key questions they need to answer over the coming months...