As Pep Guardiola turned his mind to the closing stages of the Champions League and a trilogy of games against Tottenham, he wondered aloud about the status of the FA Community Shield.
Its equivalent in Germany or Spain would count as a major piece of silverware without debate but in England, Guardiola has discovered, it is dismissed as a virtually meaningless friendly.
'Nobody counts it, I don't know why,' he said, as he joked about swerving the Shield in August if Manchester City are involved as champions or FA Cup winners — or both. 'Why? Because it doesn't count! It will be longer holidays in summer and we will be fresh for the League and Champions League.'
Pep Guardiola has full faith in his Manchester City side to complete a clean sweep of trophies this season
Manchester City claimed the first trophy of the season by beating Chelsea in the Community Shield back in August
The significance, at this stage of the season, is that City are in pursuit of an unprecedented clean sweep of all prizes available.
They won the Shield in August and the Carabao Cup in February. As Guardiola finds himself fielding questions about a Quadruple, he thinks he is chasing a Quintuple.
'Always we had the feeling we won two titles so far, we have three to play,' added the City boss. 'So that is what we believe.'
At Spurs, where they have won one trophy this century — a League Cup in 2008 — they must long for these types of conversation.
Guardiola, if he is to count various Super Cups in his collection, can boast 25 trophies as a manager, while Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino is still searching for his first.
Pochettino might point out that he has been in charge at Espanyol and Southampton rather than perennial winners such as Barcelona and Bayern Munich, but his final chance of this season comes in the biggest competition of all.
Manchester City boss Guardiola last won the Champions League with Barcelona in 2011 - but hasn't lifted it since
Guardiola has not won the Champions League since 2011 when Barca beat Manchester United in the final at Wembley. City have never been European champions and in this era, when they seem determined to sweep all before them, it feels like an important statement to make.
Last season they were foiled by Liverpool, losing 3-0 in the semi-final first leg amid the fervour of Anfield after an attack on their team bus in the streets around the stadium.
