First there was Carlos Tevez. The giant blue advertisement screamed “Welcome to Manchester” as the sky blue poster stuck up two fingers to the red half of Manchester and signalled their arrival in amongst the big players in the Premier League.
Then came Sir Alex Ferguson and his infamous “noisy neighbours” remark which incensed followers of Roberto Mancini’s Manchester revolution.
Petty squabbles have ensued since but it’s taken new Manchester City signing Edin Dzeko to stoke the fires properly once more.
The Bosnian completed his £27 million move earlier this week and wasted no time in declaring “I have heard a lot about the fans and that most of the people from Manchester are Manchester City fans,".
The move will no doubt anger those in replica Man United shirts and be viewed as another example of their impetuousness, while City fans will see it as a claim to be taken seriously amongst their league rivals.
But are City in a position to be making such bold claims?
The Blues have found themselves thrust into the limelight since Sheikh Mansour’s millions bankrolled their signings of top class players such as Mario Balotelli, Yaya Toure and now Dzeko.
Their cross-city rivals have had a much quieter period in the transfer window but currently sit two points ahead of Manchester City with two games in hand.
The signing of Dzeko will surely signal the intent of Roberto Mancini’s side to the rest of the league, but while statements like the Bosnians can be forgiven as an eagerness to impress, the club will know deep down that, whether Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United choose to admit it or not, they are now big time players in the Premier League.
The league title can only be a matter of years off, and Edin Dzeko will look to lead the front line in the charge to become the biggest club in Manchester. All is to play for.
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