Despite leading the English Premier League table, defending champions Manchester City are a worried lot.
In the run-up to their crucial league match against mid-table Watford at home, the Citizens were being investigated by both the UEFA and the Premier League for allegedly breaching financial fair play regulations (FFP).
The UEFA announced on Thursday that an investigation is on and should they be found guilty, the English champions could be hit with a ban from the Champions League.
The following day, Premier League started their own investigation on financial matters and the recruitment of academy players.
Amid the chaos, Pep Guardiola and his ensemble will welcome a tenacious outfit from Hertfordshire with Javi Gracia ready to test his fellow Spaniard in tactical games.
But City are hoping that Saturday's meeting with Watford can offer them the same sort of impetus their opponents provided for Premier League title rivals, Liverpool.
Guardiola has seen his side hit a downturn in their attacking form in recent weeks despite overtaking Liverpool and returning to the top of the table.
The last three City games have seen them score just two goals, including a goalless League Cup final appearance against a Chelsea team they had defeated 6-0 just two weeks prior.
The run hardly represents a major concern, with City having won the cup final on penalties and their next two league games by 1-0 scorelines.
But as a general indicator of form, City's previously prolific goalscoring feats - which had produced 50 goals in the opening 13 games of 2019 - have dried up alarmingly.
Watford, who were beaten 5-0 by a Liverpool team that had gone through a similarly barren spell immediately prior to their meeting, might be just the right opponents for City this weekend as they aim to maintain their one-point lead over Liverpool.
Yet Guardiola must also have been alarmed by a growing injury list which includes Kevin De Bruyne after last weekend's victory at Bournemouth.
The Belgian midfielder suffered a hamstring injury early in the second half and City were economical with the facts surrounding the problem immediately after the game, other than Guardiola confirming he will be sidelined for a period of time.
De Bruyne's absence will add to the mounting frustrations for the 27-year-old, who started 36 of City's 38 league games last season.
'Give me some slack'
De Bruyne will have played in just seven of City's 30 league games this term if, as expected, he misses out against Watford.
Two knee injuries have taken their toll on De Bruyne this season although, even when he has enjoyed extended periods in the first team, he has appeared short of the form that made him one of the league's most effective players last season.
De Bruyne's lack of cutting edge was hardly a problem for City over the opening weeks of the new year, but his side have found it more difficult to wear teams down in recent games.
The fact the Belgian played so much over the summer, with his team reaching the latter stages of the World Cup, has been cited by both player and manager as a reason for his lack of fitness and form.
And City's gruelling schedule, as they continue to compete for four trophies, has clearly impacted upon, not only De Bruyne but a number of other players, with Fernandinho and Aymeric Laporte also suffering recent injuries.
Speaking earlier this month, before his latest setback, De Bruyne conceded that those absences have affected him.
"Sometimes I feel good, sometimes I feel a little bit worse or I need a day more to recover," he said.
"But I try every day to be at the best level I can be, and sometimes people have to give me a little bit of slack after the amount of time I've been away.
"I always want to be better. But sometimes my body just says 'no' and I have to take that in my stride."
Meanwhile, Guardiola retained his faith in the club over FFP claims.
German magazine Der Spiegel, using material purportedly obtained from the whistleblowing outlet Football Leaks, alleged in November that Abu-Dhabi backed City had set up sponsorship deals to circumvent regulations limiting how much money owners can put into a club.
After UEFA's announcement on Thursday, City responded immediately by saying they supported the investigation and that they had nothing to hide.
"Manchester City welcomes the opening of a formal UEFA investigation as an opportunity to bring to an end the speculation resulting from the illegal hacking and out of context publication of City emails," the club said in a statement.
"The accusation of financial irregularities are entirely false. The club's published accounts are full and complete and a matter of legal and regulatory record."
One of Guardiola's biggest challenges, when he took charge of City in 2016, was to lead the club to win the Champions League for the first time.
The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss has seen his side eliminated in the last 16 and quarter-finals in the past two seasons, but they are favourites to win the competition this year and hold a 3-2 lead over Schalke from the first leg of their Round of 16 tie in Germany.
"I think the club made a statement yesterday. I can't add more than that," said Guardiola on Friday.
"The club is open and hopefully it can finish as soon as possible. I trust what the club has done because I know them.
"Hopefully it can be solved as soon as possible."
(With AFP inputs)
