The next Manchester derby and the qualification for the Champions League are both essential for Manchester City, but returning home is perhaps more crucial.

There has been a lot of talk about Manchester City playing without Rodri, and it’s all true: he makes them a much better team, and he’s arguably the one they can least handle without.

However, it is important to remember that the season is a long one and that the treble winners have been in much worse positions than being two points behind the leaders of the Premier League after eight games. Pep Guardiola is correct to stress out how lengthy the season is. Playing so many games away from home has not been helpful, despite the fact that the manager did not want to acknowledge it..

The three games that City played without Rodri were all played away from their home stadium, as was the Champions League encounter that was played in the middle of their three domestic fixtures. It has been a month since City last played at home, therefore this weekend’s match against Brighton will be the first time they do so.

In spite of the fact that it can appear to be unimportant, it really does make a difference: spending more time traveling, particularly if you have to take a bus home from Newcastle or if your plane to Leipzig is delayed, means less time for recovery and training and more mental exhaustion. It is impossible for this to be the reason why the Blues haven’t been successful, but in an era when every additional hour of rest can be critical for a body’s performance, it most certainly hasn’t helped them.

We can give thanks that the repayment is on the way. After playing at Brighton this week, City will have to go to Switzerland the following week, but after that, the furthest they will have to go for the next two weeks is Old Trafford. After returning from the international break in November, City will have three consecutive games at home, including two against rivals Liverpool and Tottenham.

Not only does being at home bring comforts and a better sense of health, but the Etihad Stadium has been a towering strength for City this season. It is remarkable that in 21 games there, across all competitions, City has won all 21 of those games. It’s not that the away form is terrible so much as it can’t match with the perfection that’s been accomplished at home, where no team has been able to keep up with the performance levels demonstrated by the Blues and the energy that the audience brings.

While derby days at Old Trafford are typically nerve-wracking occasions (at least until the football starts), Guardiola will require full concentration for the Champions League trip to Young Boys as he aims to all but seal qualifying for the knockout stages. Young Boys is located in Switzerland. After that, though, City should be able to travel to Chelsea in far better shape than they were in when they went to Arsenal since they will have spent almost a fortnight at home with three games at the Etihad.

Having Rodri back will make everything easier, but just being at home at lot more with five home games in six there after the United trip should give City a major boost that will allow them to start December on a high note. This is because City will have five home games in six there after the United trip.