The ongoing international break will give Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca much-needed time to fix the growing issues in his squad.

The Italian made a dream start after taking over from Pep Guardiola in the summer, leading the club to a record seven consecutive victories at the beginning of the Premier League season.

But three consecutive defeats have followed as they have fallen six points adrift of league leaders Arsenal, who are looking in imperious form as they aim to retain their title.

In September, it was announced that City had been found guilty of breaking the Premier League's financial rules, and matches have continued as the club await the outcome of their appeal.

With possible sanctions hanging over them, is City's recent league form down to psychological issues or are there tactical problems Maresca needs to address?

In their first seven games of the season, City did not concede any goals because of individual errors - but that has shifted dramatically in the past three matches, with four mistakes from players contributing to goals.

City have conceded 13 goals after 10 league games - their highest total at this stage of a season since 2008-09, when they had let in 16 - and that has prompted questions about their defensive solidity.

Renowned sports psychologist Dr Paul McCarthy has 25 years' experience working in the industry with top clubs in England, Scotland, Germany and France.

Asked if the uncertainty over the ongoing appeal process may affect the focus and attention of players, McCarthy said: "Yeah, that would be a very reasonable human response.

"When people are uncertain about their future, that uncertainty leads to a lack of perceived control, so uncertainty is often more stressful than bad news and the research shows that.

"So while you are waiting and you don't know the outcome, you are uncertain of where you are and there is that lack of control for a lot of people - they come to training, they play their games and it's outside of their responsibility."