The Contenders: City Name Premier League Squad

Tonight Manchester City announced the names of the men charged with the massive challenge of bringing the league title to The Etihad Stadium...

Following a highly satisfactory summer of transfer activity, The Blues now hold top quality depth in every team position. Roberto Mancini has the options he has pushed for over his 20 months at the controls.

The team with the strongest defence in the top flight last season now boasts a fearsome forward line capable of battering any side in England.

Mancini's 25 man squad is obviously constructed in line with what is by definition The Premier League's Home Grown player rule:

'A Home Grown Player means a player who, irrespective of his nationality or age, has been registered with any club affiliated to the Football Association or the Football Association of Wales for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons or 36 months prior to his 21st birthday (or the end of the Season during which he turns 21).'

Perhaps the most surprised members of the squad will be Englishmen Wayne Bridge and Nedum Onuoha who could have left East Manchester with relative ease this summer yet now find themselves in the mix.

Meanwhile, players Under 21 years old who do not have to be listed in the squad submitted on Friday afternoon include Mario Balotelli and Stefan Savic.

MANCHESTER CITY FC PREMIER LEAGUE SQUAD:

Home Grown: Barry, Bridge, Clichy, Hart, A Johnson, Lescott, Milner, Onuoha, Richards, Taylor.

Others: Aguero, De Jong, Dzeko, Hargreaves, Kolarov, Kompany, Nasri, Pantilimon, Nielsen, Silva, Tevez, Kolo Toure, Yaya Toure, Zabaleta.

Give us your view on Mancio's title chasers both below this article and in the VMC Forum...

UPCOMING FIXTURES:
all times GMT+1

Sa 10 Sep 15:00 Wigan, The Etihad, PL

We 14 September 19:45 Napoli, The Etihad, CLGS1

*Su 18 Sep 15:00 Fulham, Craven Cottage, PL

Tu/We 20/21 Sep 19:45 Birmingham, The Etihad, LC3

Sa 24 Sep 12:45 Everton, The Etihad, PL

Tu 27 September 19:45 Bayern Munich, Allianz Arena,
CLGS2

* Date Change

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