A year ago, former Man City manager, Mark Hughes suggested that the match between his side and Chelsea was big enough to overshadow the Man Utd vs Liverpool match that same weekend. No one really knows what Sparky meant by those comments - the results of the City vs Chelsea certainly didn't live up to the Welshmen's billing - but it's commonly accepted that Hughes was merely taking a dig at his former boss, Sir Alex Ferguson, in implying City, after a summer of some insane spending, was now bigger than United.
Still, pre-match banter aside, Sparky's comments that day certainly revealed City's true ambition which is to be the biggest club in England. But is City any closer to making that a reality this season?
Despite spending more money than anyone else (Sparky and Mancini's transfer budget over the last two seasons could probably buy Northampton), City still look years away from being genuine title contenders.
Despite an emphatic 3-0 win over Liverpool, Roberto Mancini's side has looked disorganised and ill-equipped to face smaller sides like Sunderland and Blackburn Rovers that are more than ready to frustrate bigger - or in City's case, more expensively assembled - sides. And let's face it, just about anyone can beat Liverpool these days.
So, the big question is, will City be able to stamp their title credentials against Premier League defending champions Chelsea tonight? Judging by the way Carlo Ancelotti's side has been steam-rolling past their opponents, it seems very unlikely that City will muster enough to pull off a historic upset. Clash of the Titans? Think again. This, barring any freak incidents, should be another walk in the park for Chelsea. This then brings us to a bigger question. How come money can buy success for some teams and not others?
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