The 14th May 2011 was a landmark day in the history of English football. Yes, Manchester United claimed their 19th title to overtake their greatest rivals Liverpool in the list of all time title victories, but 180 miles south at Wembley Stadium, Manchester City took what could turn out to be a much more significant step.
By beating Stoke City 1-0 to claim the FA Cup which, I'm sure you've all heard by now, was their first trophy in three and a half decades, the Citizens may well have kick-started a new era of success at Eastlands. It has been nearly three years since Sheikh Mansour turned up with his billions and while success hasn't exactly been instant, the club deserve credit where it is due. Yes, they might have been rash in sacking Mark Hughes (albeit he had been at the club some time already), but given time Roberto Mancini is beginning to show exactly what he can do. The Italian has taken much criticism for his defensive style of football but with Champions League football for next season also obtained last week, his tactics appear to be vindicated.
City have spent a lot of money on signings, but on the whole their squad is now looking very well rounded. A series of egos including Robinho, Craig Bellamy and Emmanuel Adebayor have been shown the door, and whilst Mario Balotelli and Carlos Tevez remain, the squad now appears to be much more together. They have blended the youthful talent of Joe Hart, Micah Richards and Adam Johnson with the experience of Gareth Barry, Joleon Lescott and Tevez. Yaya Toure has been a revelation, especially in the second half of the season, where he has won over many of the doubters (including myself) playing in a more attacking midfield position. While he lacks the guile and creativity of a true Trequartista, his strength, stamina and eye for goal have proved invaluable. For much of the season it appeared that City were overly reliant on Tevez, their top scorer, but with the Argentine injured at the tail-end of the season they have rallied and pushed on to claim a top-four finish and this elusive first trophy. The likes of David Silva, Vincent Kompany and Nigel de Jong have all proved to be shrewd signings and are doing the business when it counts. If Edin Dzeko can rediscover his Wolfsburg form next season, he could really add another dimension to the squad, and it is expected he will be joined by several more new additions in the summer.
City's local rivals United turned a real corner by claiming the 1990 FA Cup with a replay victory over Crystal Palace which began their dominance over the majority of the past twenty years. It is now looking possible for City to emulate them, or at least usurp Chelsea and Arsenal and become United's main title challengers in the foreseeable future. The first trophy is often the hardest to win, and when you haven't won for a while, succeeding in big matches such as Finals and semi-finals becomes harder and harder (just ask Arsenal fans). With the winning mentality now in place, and the funds to bolster their squad no end, City will really fancy their chances next season and they are already only at 10/1 odds to win the Champions League at the first time of asking.
While that is surely a step too far, it is certainly possible for Mancini's men to progress well in their debut season in Europe's top club competition. Tottenham Hotspur's progress to the quarter-finals this season is testament to that fact, and with Mancini seemingly a more tactically-aware manager than Spurs' Harry Redknapp, they may well be more suited to the competition. Having said that, Mancini failed to do well with Internazionale in the Champions League, so he still has much to prove at this level. Under Roman Abramovich's ownership Chelsea have spent millions trying to claim the greatest of club prizes and fallen short, so the size of the task at hand should not be underestimated by Mansour and his board.
But City are in a very good position to build on their squad now. They arguably need to strengthen in the full-back positions, and they may have to replace Tevez if he decides to leave like he has been threatening to for a while, but the age of the squad is about right for them to develop together. Kolo Toure's ban hasn't hit them as hard as some may have expected, and his return to action would be a welcome boost. But if Mancini keeps making the right decisions, as he did by dropping Shay Given for Hart, and by playing Yaya Toure in front of de Jong and Barry, the Premier League may well enter a new era of Manchester-based dominance.
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