"It's well documented in official records that the City's original name was 'Snottingham', or 'Home of the Snots', but when the Normans came, they couldn't pronounce the letter 'S', so decreed the town be called 'Nottingham' or the 'Home of the Notts'. It is therefore easy to understand why this change was resisted so fiercely by the people of Scunthorpe."
The late, great, Humphrey Lyttelton in one of his opening monologues for BBC Radio's I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue, 1999.

The focus will be on City losing a two goal lead and a couple of points at home, however I was more interested in the first half tactical decision that had Martin Petrov start on the right wing. Given that Petrov is quite possibly the most one footed person on the planet and it is his left foot I just don't understand this. City had a selection dilemma with the return of Bellamy but in this case I would have preferred Petrov to stay on his natural left side - which is what happened at the start of the second half.

Sad to see what Liverpool have become under Rafa Benitez. Always been my brother's team and during the 70's were a sight to behold as I was forced to watch every time they were on! Liverpool played the game right, in many ways the Arsenal of their day with the exception that they won a lot more often than Wenger's boys.

Nine games into a season, eight for City, but nine for most is a good point to take stock and see what trends are possible to detect. As such I was taking a look at the league table. There are a couple of truisms that I've found to be useful especially relatively early in the season.

I look at the table and I shouldn't complain. I look at the result against a team that beat Chelsea last time out and I shouldn't complain. I look at a gritty rear guard action by 10 men and I shouldn't complain and I look at Petrov getting a run in the side and I shouldn't complain.

And yet.

City win 3-1 and maintain their excellent start to the season with a game in hand over their rivals.

In the first of an occasional series we talk to a fan of an upcoming City opponent. Kicking us off is Dr. Greg Zeschuk mild mannered co founder of the Edmonton Canada video game company Bioware by day, but rabid Arsenal fanatic by night. Greg put aside playing the upcoming Dragon Age: Origins just long enough to answer our questions

No blockbusters this year and I think we can thank, or blame depending on your perspective, City for this. The Big Four all made their transfer moves well in advance of the transfer deadline and in retrospect it is easy to see why. Last year Chelsea had Robinho lined up before the last minute move by City and the club also forced United to match the evaluation of Spurs for Berbatov. Given the ability of the club to hijack literally any significant move by their rivals all four of the Big Four closed up shop well in advance of the deadline.

I'll leave it to others to analyze and talk about the Joleon Lescott signing. Instead I've had this crazy thought running through my head for a week now. Really crazy. I've written it down, kicked the tires as it were and gone back and forth and here it is. With the signing of Lescott, do City now have the best squad in the Premier League?

One game does not a season make and I'm certainly not going to get carried away with my Arsenal predication. I know one very prominent Arsenal supporter who thinks United will win the league so you never know. I was curious however to see the reaction of the Everton fans. Dear me. Everton manager David Moyes is considered by many observers including yours truly to be one of the better managers in the Premier League, but you wouldn't know it reading the Everton boards.