Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Everton, Aston Villa, Spurs and even Newcastle have tried, but failed, to break into the stranglehold the four big clubs have on the Premiership.
Only Everton have managed it once but now there is a new contender and it is all down to the Abu Dhabi United group and their money. Whilst it has not been a spending spree to compare with Real Madrid it has been significant enough to send a few major ripples throughout the established big hitters.
The reactions to their challenge have started coming thick and fast with the latest one being a stinging attack from Alex Ferguson claiming they are a small club with a small mentality. This follows the placing of a huge billboard at the entrance of City of Tevez in pale blue with his arms open - it was a provocative sight.
The Scot also claimed that Adebayor had approached United and Chelsea before he finalised his move to Eastlands. Whether any of this is true is another thing but the fact it has reeled in a reaction will at least give Mark Hughes some optimism.
Having poached Tevez from United and Adebayor from Arsenal this then added to the signing of Gareth Barry from under the nose of Benitez. This is significant in that they are taking players from the top four clubs they hope to usurp and if they had landed John Terry from Chelsea then they would definitely be in the running.
However, this deal whilst not dead in the water is now unlikely to take place given the England captain's assurances at the weekend that he plans to stay at Stamford Bridge. His silence on the issue over the past few weeks would have been signs of encouragement but his comment of "I am totally committed to Chelsea, always have been. Me leaving was never a possibility", has put an end it.
The accusations that are flying around regarding the way City are buying their way into contention are not helped by their recent history. Unlike Chelsea, when the same thing happened to them under Ambramovich, they have been struggling to compete for some time.
They have not won a trophy for 35 years and their best position in the league for some time was ninth under Eriksson two years ago. They have also plummeted to the depths of League One and whilst their support has always remained fantastic this is not the record of a 'big' club and they would probably admit that themselves.
Their major problem has been stability with Stuart Pearce, Kevin Keegan and Eriksson all failing to make the breakthrough in recent times but the list does not end there as Alan Ball, Joe Royale and Steve Coppell, to mention just a few, have also found the task beyond them. Compare this to across the city where United have kept faith in the same man for 25 years and have reaped the reward.
It is a similar position with Arsenal and Tottenham where Wenger has installed himself in the club to such an extent he is almost unmovable but at White Hart Lane it is like a revolving door.
Maybe the Abu Dhabi Group will take heed in this area and give Mark Hughes the time he needs to establish the club and cement themselves in the top four - it may take two or three seasons. This will depend on the owners' mentality and how quickly they want success. If it is instantly then Hughes may be in trouble if he does not get off to a flying start and any dip in form will see the pressure mount.
The Welshman is evidently a top manager but doubts still surround his ability to man manage the biggest stars in football and if you wanted one perceived weakness not to have at this particular club it would be this one.
There is probably more spending to comes as the defence still seems too weak and another quality midfielder is required as the balance of the squad currently looks inadequate to make the next step up.
Will City manage to get into the Champions League this season or even lift the title? Well, the first one is possible but the second unlikely but it will depend on the next few weeks of spending and the start they make.
Either way they have added another dimension to the top of the table that can only be good for the competitive element of the Premiership ignoring whether the way they are doing it is productive in the long term benefit of the game. They may not yet be eating at the top table but they are certainly at the front of the queue.
