LONDON. — To think there was a debate as to whether Manuel Pellegrini was the right man for Manchester City. How long we wondered would it be before this mild mannered Chilean, who had enjoyed notable achievements with Villarreal and Malaga but was sacked by Real Madrid, would suffer the same fate at the Etihad.

But those thoughts have become a distant memory, as Pellegini’s irresistible squad have taken the Premier League by storm, finally replacing United as Manchester’s headline act.

Pellegrini was a man who had had not won a league title outside of South America and whose only European success, if you can call it as much, was an Intertoto Cup with Villarreal.

City fans may have questioned the appointment of Pellegrini with some rather colourful language as their side suffered a shock defeat to Wigan in the FA Cup final last season as Roberto Mancini’s reign entered its final throes. But inside the City boardroom, two influential figures were convinced Pellegrini was indeed the man that could take a club who had already spent millions to the next level. Their chief executive, Ferran Soriano, and sporting director, Txiki Begiristain, knew all about Pellegrini.

The two men who played an integral role in bringing the glory days back to Barcelona had witnessed at first-hand what the man dubbed ‘The Engineer’, courtesy of his degree level education, could do.

HOW MANCHESTER CITY ARE TAKING THEIR GAME TO A NEW LEVEL

City have scored 92 goals this season (all comps), just one fewer than they managed in the whole of 2012-13. Alvaro Negredo has scored 15 goals in 15 appearances in all competitions at home for City this term.

City have netted in each of their last 60 home league games at the Etihad, scoring 161 times in total. The record is 66 set by United which ended in May 2013.

City have failed to score in just two of their last 23 Premier League games (v Stoke and Sunderland away this season). City have won their last 10 home games in a row, scoring 43 goals in total.  – Mailonline

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