Swansea are flying high in fifth place, just three points behind City, and they head to the Etihad looking to better the 3-0 defeat they suffered there last season.

Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini deemed Champions League qualification ‘not impossible’ despite his side’s 2-1 defeat to CSKA Moscow.

CSKA Moscow were ordered to play the game against City, which ended 2-2 after the Russians equalised late on, behind closed doors because their fans had displayed far-right banners against AS Roma last month and racist behaviour last season

Manchester City players featured everywhere from Beijing to Abidjan during the international break

The Ivorian has received his fair share of flack this season but grabbed the first of City’s two goals against Villa

Pellegrini was keen to capitalise on the 7-0 thrashing of Sheffield Wednesday in the Capital One Cup earlier this week with another emphatic victory

Dashing has acquired licensing rights to use the club crest and player imagery in national TV marketing and social media campaigns as the club sniff dominance in Asia

Lampard came off the bench to score a late equaliser against his former club Chelsea on Sunday, and his new captain thinks it will be by no means his last contribution

Six years on, after having not won a major trophy since 1970, there now stand four gleaming trophies in City’s cabinet, signalling that their brightest era has just begun

Book joined the Citizens in 1966 after moving from Plymouth Argyle and duly became their most decorated captain – taking them to a First Division title, FA Cup, League Cup and European Cup Winners’ Cup.

Defender Kompany, basking in the English sun, sat back as goalkeeper Joe Hart and forward Edin Dzeko poured the ice-cold water over his head.