Serbian hitman Aleksander Kolarov’s lethal left foot weapon fired champions Manchester City up to second place in the Premier League in a display of precision shooting. All action Kolarov dispelled the ubiquitous notion that the reigning English Champions have somehow lost their way, as City annihilated previously unbeaten Sunderland. The three goal margin in no way reflected City’s total domination. 8-0 would not have flattered Roberto’s resurgent troops as they […]

A superlative showing from Joe Hart and a sting in the tail from Mario Balotelli kept Manchester City alive in the Group of Death as Borussia Dortmund swarmed all over them in the Champions League. Three elements emerged from a lopsided contest at the Etihad Stadium; Hart is the best goalkeeper in the world, there’s no better penalty taker on the planet than Balotelli and, sadly, City are nowhere near […]

The ‘Real’ Manchester City finally arrived in season 2012/13 – 540 minutes into the defence of their Premier League crown. In a master class of fast moving, incisive attacking football, City produced a performance a million miles removed from the abject midweek offering against Aston Villa, as they tore into Fulham from the off. With 71% possession and 23 attempts on goal, maroon clad Manchester clearly overwhelmed their hosts throughout […]

Manchester City fans quite rightly rejoice, get to their feet and blast out a rendition of ‘Stand up for the Champions’ at the Etihad Stadium on match days. Well, the City faithful will remain rooted in their seats next season if they have to suffer many more performances like this.  Mancini’s men seem to have sunk into a malaise – despite remaining unbeaten in the league since Easter Sunday – […]

To lose any game when you’re 2-1 up in the 86th minute is careless, but to capitulate with victory over Real Madrid within touching distance in the Santiago Bernabeu stadium is criminal. With just four minutes of regulation time remaining Aleksander Kolarov’s  30 yard free kick bamboozled the massed Madrid defence and looked destined to give Manchester City a most amazing Champions League victory. S natching defeat from the jaws […]

As anybody who knows anything about construction work, Rome was not built in a day. But give an Italian ‘architect’ a thousand days and you’ll see a creation of substance and beauty, erected on firm foundations. And so it was that Manchester City’s Roberto Mancini marked his 1,000th day as City boss with his team of champions displaying both skill and backbone away to Stoke City. There’s always a hint […]

The milestones came thick and fast – Roberto Mancini’s 100th game as Manchester City manager, City’s 200thgoal under the Italian’s stewardship and Carlos Tevez’ 50th Premier League strike in sky blue. It’s a fact that whenever Tevez scores in the PL for City or Yaya scores at all, City have never lost – and so it was against QPR on Saturday. But the only statistics that really mattered were three […]

Roberto Mancini was playing for high stakes both on and off the park, as champions Manchester City sought a rare win at Anfield against Brendan Rodger’s young Liverpool braves. If the fiery Italian was a poker player one suspects he’d be an ace at calling his opponents bluff or, in this case, gambling with three points to get his point over to City’s money men. What other reason could he […]

Hadn’t we been here before – predictions of a ‘nailed on’ City win, opponents out of their depth, a goalfest for the men in sky blue? Just 98 days on from that incredible win against QPR with the Premier League title on the line, and here we were with Manchester City’s version of Groundhog Day against newly promoted, unfancied Southampton. The feeling of déjà vu was further perpetuated by the […]

Rock legend Freddie Mercury was a ‘virtual’ impresario at the closing ceremony of London’s glorious 2012 Olympics on Sunday night, but his vocals would have been just as appropriate at the Community Shield clash up the M6 in Birmingham. Queen’s classic ‘We Are The Champions’ theme could easily have boomed out at Villa Park as the Royal Blue Champions of Europe stepped out against the Sky Blue (albeit in maroon) […]