Guardiola's aura has diminished: Richard Buxton

Life threatens to imitate art for Manchester City this season.

Clever editing made last season's procession to the English Premier League title appear a more nerve-induced affair in their behind-the-scenes "All or Nothing" documentary.

Pep Guardiola may soon reflect on that creative licence as a foreboding after a narrow 2-1 win over Newcastle United yesterday morning (Singapore time) almost cast a shadow over the 10-year anniversary of his side's Abu Dhabi state-sponsored renaissance.

City's main challengers are starting to expose their shortcomings; Liverpool's goalkeeping issues are still beset by calamity, while Jose Mourinho's endgame at Manchester United has allowed their city's "noisy neighbours" to remain unchallenged as the superior being.

Even in victory, however, the Etihad Stadium is currently far from a haven of harmony.

Leroy Sane found himself omitted due to apparent misgivings about his attitude.

The winger's failure to start in all of City's opening four games suggests Joachim Loew may have been on to something in overlooking him for Germany's ultimately catastrophic World Cup defence.

Guardiola also downplayed suggestions of any rift with Sane, but continually under-using last season's PFA Young Player of the Year is not something which can be dismissed out of hand - especially when his side are without Kevin de Bruyne for up to three months due to injury.

The Catalan may believe that the recent fly-on-the-wall view on City's history-making campaign did not reveal any best-kept secrets but it has stripped away his previous aura.

Little guesswork was required about what transpired in Guardiola's half-time team talk as the reigning EPL champions found themselves held by a defensively stubborn Newcastle.

Only Kyle Walker's first goal in just shy of three years preserved an element of surprise.

There was a reason why Sir Alex Ferguson refused to allow the cameras to scratch beneath the surface of his glittering Old Trafford reign.

As soon as the mystique disappears, people tend to take a dim view of what they once admired.

The same now applies to Guardiola.

Previously, the only insight into his workings came from the glowing testimonies of his players.

Now the entire world has peeked behind the curtain and seen it in its rawest form.

His methodology has been simplified as emotive mania and meticulous attention to detail.

Others have fallen afoul of trial by television series.

Brendan Rodgers was denigrated as a caricature whose key currency was thoughtless cliches and botched attempts at psychology rather than an erstwhile Liverpool manager regarded as one of the best up and coming coaches.

Crucially, City still remain on the same number of points at this exact stage last season while the rest of the challengers have maintained a 100 per cent record.

HARDER

Retaining a grip on the title may be harder for Guardiola than it proved with the Bundesliga and La Liga crowns.

He has never had to rebuild a glimmering reputation primed on Barcelona's time-honoured principles.

Winning ugly is a trait which has often been lacking in his coaching DNA.

Yet if Guardiola is to succeed in England as he did elsewhere, wins will need to be more scrappy than they have been spellbinding.

Overcoming the Magpies after dropping points against Wolverhampton Wanderers seven days earlier is a step in the right direction.

The world will be watching to see if both City and Guardiola can provide a compelling sequel to their greatest story ever told.