After a hugely disappointing campaign last season, Manchester City are determined to take back the Premier League title from their derby rivals Manchester United. Tough decisions were taken at the end of last season as Roberto Mancini was sacked and instead Manuel Pellegrini was brought in from Malaga.

Lessons were learnt from last season and the new manager has been backed with cash to bolster the squad. Last summer, City signed few players but most of them arrived very late in the transfer window, and did not improve the first team to a good extent. Players like Scott Sinclair, Jack Rodwell and Maicon are at best good squad players.

This season City hierarchies have assessed the yawning gap with their rivals and realised their need to be closed down and hence business was done very early in the season. Central midfield was bolstered with the signing of Fernandinho, surely an upgrade over Gareth Barry.

Likewise, two new strikers, Stevan Jovetic and Alvaro Negredo have been signed to replace Carlos Tevez and Mario Balotelli. Although, these two players aren’t really an upgrade in that sense but they would bring something extra to the team.

Jovetic for instance is a versatile player who can play in various positions. Negredo was a proven goal scorer at La Liga and his physical aspect to the game would prove to be handy.

City already boast the best defence in the country. However, the injury of the highly rated Matija Nastasic could force the manager to delve into the transfer market again.

City have signed another quality player in Jesus Navas. The Spaniard is a typical old-school type of winger, who mostly stays in an around the right side of the pitch. However, his breath-taking pace and ability to provide sharp crosses would add an extra dimension to City’s game.

Pellegrini has claimed that City have the best squad in the country. With the team they possess, they are sure to challenge their rivals till the very end. Winning the league title will be their first priority, but City will also look to progress further beyond the group stages this time in the Champions League.

Also See: Our team-by-team 2013/14 season previews.