Welcome to the latest edition of the City Is Ours daily round-up, where we take a look at some of the Manchester City stories you might have missed.
City and Liverpool look to be pulling clear of Chelsea in the Premier League title race and their dominance of the division has been highlighted by a new combined XI.
Micah Richards has waxed lyrical over Fiorentina forward Dusan Vlahovic amid ongoing speculation that links two of his former clubs.
Meanwhile, a defender currently on City's books is winning rave reviews out on loan as he contributes to a promotion push.
City and Liverpool domination continues
For the past few years, City and Liverpool have been English football's dominant forces. Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp's rivalry is one to stand alongside the jousts Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho enjoyed and endured during previous decades.
The trophies the two managers have won are there for everyone to see, but the latest research by the CIES Football Observatory speaks volumes.
CIES has complied a best XI from across the Premier League, using their performance index powered by Opta data. It leaves Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy - who hasn't exactly been out-performing Ederson lately - as the only representative from outside City or Liverpool.
Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte, Joao Cancelo, Rodri and Bernardo Silva make up the Blues contingent, with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jordan Henderson, Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota and Sadio Mane in play for Liverpool.
Can your nerves handle a similarly tight title race?
Micah admires Dusan
Former City favourite Richards often seems to be the voice of the club on big platforms and gets it right more or less every time he speaks.
A top player and, arguably, an even better pundit, Micah has given his verdict on Vlahovic and it is safe to say he is a fan of the Serbian striker.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Richards said: "I have watched him a couple of times now. He is lightning. It’s ridiculous. He has got 16 in 18 this season. His left foot is like a wand. I am telling you now, he is everything, he is everything you need."
Richards spent a season on loan in 2014/15 at Fiorentina, where Vlahovic has been offered the most lucrative deal in the club’s history. Nevertheless, the young forward appears committed to a move elsewhere.
Only Robert Lewandowski has scored more goals than Vlahovic in 2021 across Europe's big five leagues and he has a huge future ahead of him. At 21, he is the perfect age to develop into an even more lethal performer under Guardiola's guidance.
22 Scouts at Sunderland
The subheading to this sounds like the latest up-and-coming indie band from the north of England, but we can assure you it’s City related!
The Telegraph has reported that 22 representatives from various clubs watched Sunderland’s League One clash with Crewe Alexandra amid the hype and interest around a number of Black Cats youngsters. One particular standout performer on Wearside is City loanee Callum Doyle.
Doyle, 18, is an accomplished defender who has impressed during his spell at the Stadium of Light. The future is certainly bright for City’s academy products and Doyle is showing he can absolutely be a part of that story.
Before Doyle made the switch to Sunderland, there was talk of the deal being a two-year loan. City are clearly in no rush and want to let his considerable talent develop at a sensible pace. Doyle's new band of admirers might not be so patient, however.
Which academy player would you like to see enter the first team at City? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below
