The dust has now settled on the weekend's domestic encounters and now focus has turned to the upcoming international fixtures.
So, what City-related stories are making the headlines today?
Well, speaking ahead of England's clash with San Marino on Thursday, James Milner has warned against complacency, urging his teammates to approach the game with professionalism.
Quoted on FourFourTwo's website, the midfielder declared: "You can't let your standards drop. We should win the game but when teams come and sit back, it's never easy.
"It's up to us to break them down but we want to keep moving and move forward.
"Last time we played [San Marino] at Wembley [a 5-0 win in October 2012] the first goal took a while to come and people started to get a bit nervous.
"We just want to keep working at what we've been working on and improve."
The 28-year-old's comments also feature on the FA's official website, as the international half-centurion hopes to act as a mentor for the squad's newcomers.
"Now I am a senior player and I try to help the younger players as I got help from the older boys when I came in," he stated.
"It's a great honour to represent your country at any level, but I never thought about landmarks, or 50 caps so I am very proud of it.
"There have been plenty of ups and downs along the way. I've been through three major tournaments and a lot of the squad has changed significantly in that time."
Following a disappointing World Cup for the Three Lions, Milner also insisted last month's win in Basel has provided a welcome confidence boost to the players.
"You don't just forget about the World Cup," he reflected. "It's always there and you try to learn and move forward.
"The first games afterwards are never easy, but now is the time to build on our last two results and qualify for the Euros.
"We have got a great bunch of lads. Many of us know each other from club level or other international levels so we are a tight group.
"You need team spirit for matches such as the one away to Switzerland - lesser teams with less spirit might not have got that result."
Milner is also mentioned in the Manchester Evening News, hinting he may be closing in on a new deal with the champions.
"We’ve been in talks with the club," he revealed. "We’ve talked about it and hopefully it can get sorted some time soon."
Elsewhere, Pablo Zabaleta still has his thoughts on the Premier League title race, as the defender has rejected the idea of a two-horse race between City and Chelsea - according to the Mirror.
"I think you cannot forget about other teams like United, Arsenal and Liverpool," he asserted. "I think Southampton are in good shape at the moment.
"We just need to think about ourselves and keep working hard to try and win games. We know how tough this competition - the Premier League - is.
"We have won it twice in the last three years and we know how tough it is to win it. Every game is so hard to win, especially playing away from home.
"Of course Chelsea look a really solid team. They keep winning games and look really strong, probably one of the best teams in the Premier League at the moment.
"They are not going to lose too many games because the way they play, they will not concede many goals and then they have quality enough up front to score goals.
"Five points at the moment after seven games, although there is still a long way to go, you always need to win games and try to reduce the gap between us and Chelsea.
"We need to keep winning games to try and catch them and go top of the league, if it's possible."
In other news, the Telegraph believe Fernandinho could be out for up to two weeks, after limping off in Saturday's 2-0 victory at Aston Villa.
Writes Mark Ogden: "Fernandinho has now been withdrawn from the Brazil squad for the forthcoming friendlies against Argentina and Japan, in Beijing and Singapore respectively, in order to undergo treatment at the club’s new Etihad training campus in an effort to be fit for the visit of Spurs on October 18.
"City manager Manuel Pellegrini has been told that the £30m signing from Shakhtar Donetsk has a 50-50 chance of returning to face Tottenham.
"But with the squad due to fly to Russia 24 hours after the Spurs clash in order to prepare for the Champions League Group E encounter with CSKA Moscow, Fernandinho could be held back from the league game and saved for the behind-closed-doors tie against CSKA."
Toure reveals long-term plan
Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has revealed he preparing both his mind and body to play 60 games this season. Toure has received criticism for the sluggish way he has started the campaign, having proved the key plank to last season's Premier League title victory. The Ivory Coast midfielder finally opened his league account with the vital first goal in last weekend's 2-0 victory over Aston Villa. Toure has again been linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain by the French press in the last few days. But the 30-year-old insists his critics need to appreciate what he expects his form will be over the course of the next few months. Toure told City TV: "I am not prepared to play just one game. I prepare my head and my body to play 50 or 60 games in the season. "I have to prepare myself, my body and my mind for all those games." - See more at: http://www.sportinastorm.com/Premier-Le ... rZTcm.dpuf
Milner reveals frustrations for club and country - but refuses to sulk
England midfielder admits his easy-going nature can make it too easy for manager's to drop
James Milner has revealed his frustration over his lack of opportunities for England - and at times during his Manchester City career.
But the 28-year-old insists there will be no tantrums from him as he tries to prove his worth to both Roy Hodgson and Manuel Pellegrini.
The midfielder admits that his easy-going nature can make it too easy for managers to overlook him. But he insists hard work - rather than hysterics - remains his best ploy to get more playing time.
“There are two ways to react,” said Milner. “You can sulk and mouth off to the press or work harder on the training field and try to force your way in.
“That is the only way I know how to do it.”
By Milner’s own assessment, he is in a good place right now.
He has started five of the last seven games for City - including key matches against Arsenal and Chelsea.
On the international stage he won his 50th cap for England when coming on as a substitute for last month’s Euro 2016 qualifier against Switzerland.
But that landmark disguises the disappointment he endured when Hodgson selected England newcomer Fabian Delph ahead of him for the 2-0 win in Basel.
A total of just 223 minutes playing time from the Three Lions’ nine games in 2014 also reflects his struggles to establish himself for his country.
Meanwhile, his current run for City is in stark contrast to last season when he started just 12 games in all competitions for the Premier League champions.
He admits a more fiery temperament might make managers think twice before leaving him on the sidelines.
“Maybe in some ways it does count against you if you are not sulking or ruining training,” he said. “I've played with enough players for you to decide who it could be (I’m talking about).
“There’s a way to do it like that and maybe that does count against me at times because the manager knows I will carry on training as hard as I can to try to force him round.
“But it is no good for the team if someone sulks or disrupts training.
“The team comes first whether it’s for England or Man City.
“It is in your character I suppose. It is frustrating at times, but it is no good for the team if you do alienate yourself from the group and start making things difficult.
“Although, it may be in the back of the mind of the manager if you do do that 'I had a bit of an earful last time.'”
At club level, Milner finds himself competing with superstar names like Yaya Toure, David Silva, Samir Nasri, Fernandinho and Fernando on a day-to-day basis.
“We've got at least two world class players in every position,” he said. “It’s great to be playing with these guys. I've improved over the years playing with them and still learn things every single day watching these guys in training.
“But you just hope that when you get your chance, if you’re playing well you can stay there and force the manager to keep you in that side and make it difficult for him to drop you.
“I've gone through phases in my Man City career where at times I've played a lot more and you enjoy it massively and there’s obviously no place you’d rather be. It’s an amazing club. Why would you want to leave?
“Then at other times it’s a bit more frustrating when you’re not playing as much and it’s a bit more difficult.
“It’s a great club to be at and I've enjoyed every minute and still loving it now. I’m managing to play a lot of games right now and I’m loving it and hopefully that can continue.”
It is to Milner’s credit - and perhaps detriment - that he remains such a reliable fallback option for both Pellegrini and Hodgson.
He believes his hard-working style also works against him in the eyes of supporters.
“At times, I do think if I’m a bit lazier, do the attacking side of the game would people notice me more?” he said. “But I play the game which I think is best for the team. I track back, I defend and sometimes you might not have the energy to go forward because you’re doing that sort of work.
“People get a tag and it sticks. That’s the way it is. All I can do is play as well as I can.”
Milner’s task now is to try to convince Hodgson that he can be a key figure in England’s Euro 2016 plans at a time when young players like Ross Barkley, Adam Lallana and Delph are emerging.
But even if he remains a a fringe player, he insists he will never turn his back on his country.
“It’s definitely frustrating, but on the other hand it is England,” he said. “You are representing your country and I don’t think I could ever turn my back on my country and finish my career, look back and think 'I've stopped making myself available for my country and representing England to have a few extra days off in the international break.'
“It’s a massive honour to play for your country. There was a time when I was with the under 21s and a few times it was between me and another player to get into the senior team and the other player was picked because I could play for the u21s.
“That was frustrating as well. I didn't know if i’d ever get through.
“I played 46 times for the U21s and I’d have never turned down playing for the U21s. It’s playing for England.”
James Milner asked about @BoringMilner Twitter account during England press conference, gives boring answer
James Milner finally had the opportunity to give a witty response to his parody Twitter account @BoringMilner – but instead disappointed after giving a rather boring answer.
The Manchester City midfielder has been trolled by an account on the social media site – which has 339,000 followers – that, quite harshly, pokes fun out of Milner’s personality with regular tweets on the subject.
When asked at an England press conference on Tuesday about his thoughts on the account, the 28-year-old missed the chance to show his trolls just how fun he really is – with a dull response.
Watch what Milner had to say on the subject, below.
Watch on youtube.comMan City targets Brazil under-20 star
Brazil under-20 midfielder Nathan is being sought by Manchester City amid an escalating legal row involving his club Atletico Paranaense, according to the teenager's father.
Jose Carlos de Souza, who also acts as Nathan's agent, told Brazilian sports portal Globoesporte that the Premier League champions were one of eight clubs eyeing the 18-year-old.
Nathan's contract with Atletico expires in April meaning he is now free to negotiate with other clubs as a free agent.
But the Curitiba-based outfit have taken legal action in a bid to thwart the player's departure.
According to Globoesporte, Nathan has rejected an improved offer to remain at the club.
The playmaker, who has represented Brazil's under-17s and under-20s, has made 13 first-team starts for Atletico this year and scored one goal.
City happy to play waiting game as they search for homegrown stars
Academy head Mark Allen says revamped youth structure won't pay off for 'nine or 10 years' - but he insists it's worth it.
City will not reap the full benefit of their Academy revolution until the next decade.
As the Blues gear up for the move into their stunning new Etihad Campus facility, which begins next week, their future comes into even sharper focus.
And with their under-21 side top of the national league and the under-18s sitting stop the North Group of their league – despite being essentially an under-17 team – it may be seen that the fruits are already ripening nicely.
There is no doubt that the age groups immediately underneath the first team do contain real prospects, with Jason Denayer, Karim Rekik, Devante Cole, Jordy Hiwula, Greg Leigh all out on loan for the next phase of their development.
But Academy head Mark Allen has said all along that the revamped structure would take “nine or 10 years” to take full effect.
That is not to denigrate the sterling work done by previous incumbent Jim Cassell and former director Dennis Tueart, who did the spadework for the academy and set many of the principles now being heavily funded and fine-tuned by the new regime.
The club has brought in some of the best young players in Europe, and tried to pick and cultivate the cream of the English crop, focussing as much as possible on the Manchester area.
There are whispers at the club of an 11-year-old who has been compared to Lionel Messi at the same age, although no-one is willing to confirm it – such a billing is not only unfair, it could turn out to be hugely inaccurate.
And it might be tempting, for impatient City fans, to see the achievements of the junior teams, to think that Sheikh Mansour’s investment in the academy is already bringing a harvest of excellent players. Last season’s under-21s came agonisingly close in four competitions – they were knocked out in the league title play-offs by Chelsea on penalties, denied a place in the last four of the under-19 Uefa Youth League by an unbelievable performance by Benfica’s goalkeeper, and lost in the League Cup and Manchester Senior Cup finals.
They have already seen Jose Angel Pozo step into the first team, and there are plenty of talented young prospects.
But Allen insists that there is more to come when the intakes of recent years get the full benefit of the beefed-up academy, which now includes a private education at St Bede’s College in Whalley Range.
He insists the ten-year cycle will pay full dividend: “I would love to advance it! But we are seeing the fruits of investment, without a shadow of a doubt,” he said.
“In the first St Bede’s group we took 19 boys into the system, and that group graduated last year. Out of that group, 12 were offered full-time scholarships here and the remaining seven have all secured scholarships at other football clubs.
“For me it’s a demonstration of the investment paying off for the club, but also for those boys who came on that journey. They are still in football, and may still get a career in the game, even though for some it may not be with City.
“Will it come earlier? I like to think so, but I do believe it’s a ten-year cycle to actually get all the way through the system, and I am confident we will see players coming through that system.
“When I look at us now, when we go abroad in tournaments, we are never, ever behind technically. We tend to dominate games and secure possession.
“The last part now is about getting over the gain line mentally, to learn about the winning side of it, but the development programme here has principally been about producing the right kind of players for City.
“Last season we had seven boys capped at under-16 level for England, and that is a record in one season – all of those boys were at Bede’s.”
R's to move for City star
Queens Park Rangers are poised to make a surprise loan move for Manchester City winger Scott Sinclair in January.
The Hoops are already in a relegation scrap after a poor start to the campaign, with the pressure increasing on boss Harry Redknapp.
He is a fan of Sinclair, who failed to find a club during the summer and is once again on the sidelines at Manchester City.
The Citizens are prepared to listen to offers of around £4million for the 25-year-old, who has failed to make any impression during his time at the Etihad Stadium.
Rangers, however, are wary of splashing too much cash in the upcoming January window.
They would be prepared to cover Sinclair's £42,000-a-week wages until the end of the season, with a view to a permanent stay if the west London club do manage to remain in the Premier League.
Roy Keane is like Saddam Hussein, according to Alf-Inge Haaland
ALF-INGE HAALAND has re-ignited his bitter feud with Roy Keane after comparing the former Manchester United skipper to crackpot dictator Saddam Hussein.
Former Norway international Haaland has been a sworn enemy of Keane's ever since the infamous tackle by the ex-United midfield enforcer which he claimed ended his career.
Keane, now assistant manager at Aston Villa and with the Republic of Ireland, admitted in his first book that he had deliberately set out to injure the former Manchester City and Leeds star.
Now, in a follow up volume 'The Second Half' Keane re-ignited the feud by claiming: "There are things in my life I regret and he is not one of them."
After the latest tirade by Keane, Haaland was prompted for a reaction by his followers on Twitter.
And Haaland did not disappoint, posting: "Can't take a man seriously when he's got a beard like...' with a picture of deceased Iraqi tyrant Hussein attached.
“There are things in my life I regret and he is not one of them”
Roy Keane
Controversial Keane's bushy black and grey beard has been a talking point in the game for a while.
At first it appeared Haaland had performed a u-turn by deleting the tweet.
But he later explained the apparent change of heart by tweeting: "Sorry for deleting my tweet last night. I had to. SH's family did not want to be associated with your former leader."
Haaland never played a full game after the brutal lunge to his knee by Keane, although he eventually dropped a £6m lawsuit for damages.
Keane has never forgiven Haaland for standing over him claiming he was faking injury after a challenge between the two left the United man with ruptured knee ligaments.
Four years later Keane exacted his revenge and clearly, 13 years later, is in no mood to apologise.
And Haaland's memory is clearly just as long as Keane's as he followed up his Twitter blast with a statement to Norwegian television.
He said: "I haven't actually said anything. I just said that I don't take his comments seriously.
"There's no use getting on your high horse and saying that everybody else is an idiot if they don't agree with you."
Keane's explosive book has grabbed the headlines after a Tesco store accidentally put it sale before its scheduled release tomorrow.
But the 43-year-old will go ahead with the launch at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
And Republic boss Martin O'Neill insisted the furore surrounding the book has not affect his side's preparation for the forthcoming Euro 2016 qualifiers against Gibraltar and Germany.
"I genuinely don't know what the headlines are in the book," O'Neill claimed.
"It obviously was going to cause some sort of furore at some stage or another.
"It's there and it doesn't matter. The games are the most important things for us."
Former Manchester City boss Mancini admits PSG move “is possible”
The Italian responded to reports suggesting that he could replace Laurent Blanc at Paris Saint-Germain, with the Ligue 1 side struggling for form.
Roberto Mancini has admitted that his next managerial job could come in France, amid speculation linking the Italian with reigning Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain.
PSG have made an indifferent start to their current domestic campaign and sit third in the league standings, some seven points off runaway leaders Marseille.
And despite guiding the team to an impressive 3-2 win over Barcelona in the Champions League, the Parisiens’ current manager Laurent Blanc is under increasing pressure to improve his side’s league form following another summer of big spending at the Dubai-backed club.
Some reports have even claimed that Mancini, who was most recently in charge at Galatasaray, could step-in if results do not improve for the Frenchman.
Speaking at an event in Qatar this week, the Italian moved to back Blanc while also seemingly refusing to rule out a move into the top job at PSG.
“I think there is a good coach there,” he said. “[Blanc] runs PSG well and he won the French league last year.”
He then added, cryptically: “I know nothing more. Maybe I will coach in France – or somewhere else. Everything is possible in football.”
A popular figure among Manchester City fans, the 49-year-old helped the Sky Blues win the FA Cup in 2011 and the club’s first Premier League title a year later.
He left Gala only a year into a three-year deal with the Turkish club, after failing to win the league title and exiting the Champions League to Chelsea at the last-16 stage.
Liverpool and Arsenal are monitoring Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas after the 33-year-old hinted he wants to play in England. (Daily Star)
However, reports claim Liverpool are closing in on a deal for former Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes, 32, who is set to undergo a medical this month. (Goal.com)
Liverpool midfielder Suso, 20, will leave Anfield to join AC Milan either in January or for free during the summer. (Daily Express)
Real Madrid are set to make a bid for Chelsea's Brazilian midfielder Ramires 27, in the January transfer window. (Talkshit)
Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech, 32, will look to quit Stamford Bridge in the near future if he remains second choice to 22-year-old Thibaut Courtois. (Sky Sports Understands)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has rejected an approach from Bayern Munich for 25-year-old Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil. (Metro)
Wales international Gareth Bale, 25, has told Real Madrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo, 29, not to leave the Bernabeu club in order to rejoin Manchester United. (Daily Express)
Stromsgodset midfielder Martin Odegaard, 15, has courted the attention of several Premier League clubs but Norway coach Per-Mathias Hogmo, who has included the teenager in his squad for his side's forthcoming Euro 2016 qualifiers, has urged him to turn down a move to "an absolute top club". (DSSC)
Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United are all interested in 31-year-old Barcelona right-back Dani Alves, whose contract with the Spanish club runs out next summer, but the Brazilian wants to stay at the Nou Camp outfit. (Daily Star)
Southampton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin, 24, says the club treated him like "cattle" during the summer when he was denied a move to Tottenham, but that he now intends to stay at the south coast side for the rest of the season. (Daily Telegraph)
QPR boss Harry Redknapp will make a move for Tottenham striker Emmanuel Adebayor, 30, and Toronto forward Jermain Defoe, 32, during the January transfer window. (The Sun )
Premier League fixtures could be played overseas within five seasons. The possibility of a new plan is on the agenda, six years after chief executive Richard Scudamore's controversial '39th game' proposals were dismissed. (The Times)
England coach Roy Hodgson has cleared the air with Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal and defused their row over the fitness of 19-year-old defender Luke Shaw. (Daily Telegraph)
Arsenal defender Calum Chambers, 19, is set to make his senior competitive debut for England in Thursday's Euro 2016 qualifier against San Marino and may even earn a surprise start at centre-back . (Guardian)
Manchester United defender Paddy McNair, 19, has added to the Red Devils injury woes, after picking up a hamstring injury that will rule him out for three weeks. (Daily Mirror)
Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana, 26, has rejected suggestions he would have refused to play for Southampton if they had blocked his £25m transfer to Anfield. (Independent)
Brighton manager Sami Hyypia celebrated his 41st birthday on Tuesday and received a reminder of his younger days from current Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren, 25, who took to Twitter to post an old snap of he and Hyypia from 2003 when the Croatian defender was just 14 years old.
Roy Keane has revealed he didn't sign Robbie Savage when he was Sunderland manager because the midfielder's voicemail message was 'Hi, it's Robbie - whazzup!'. (DSSC)
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