Turn to the Mail today for a feelgood City story. Ian Ladyman lists "Seven reasons why the season has started with a bang", and the Blues feature in two of them.

Top of Laydo's list, spread over the best part of two pages, is the fact that "The door is open" and City, Tottenham and Aston Villa are all showing they can kick the status quo into touch.

The top four - Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal - have dominated for so long, he groans, that "Sky Sports would even make them play each other on the same day and call it 'Grand Slam Sunday'."

Well, goodbye ennui, hello brave new world. "Finally this group is under threat. Manchester City have arrived with millions of petrodollars and enough big-name forwards to fill a five-a-side team on their own.

"This time the assault looks like being ... sustained. City, for example, are already in the top four and will spend again in the January transfer window."

And another of his reasons to be cheerful? Why, Craig Bellamy of course. The fiery City and Wales striker, so widely criticised until the last couple of weeks, is rapidly pulling off the most impressive image turn-around since Richard Nixon.

In a section headed "Zero to Hero", Ian quotes the Arctic Monkeys - "When it comes to acting up, I think I could write the book" - reckons that Bellers' "electrifying" football wil have Robinho worried about shifting him for a left-side starting place.

And in an aside that could have come from the heart of the Kop, Laydo adds: "Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez must wonder why he ever let Bellamy go. The Spaniard has Albert Riera on the left side of his midfield these days. Enough said."

Elsewhere, a mention in the Financial Times. The Pink 'Un reports that football clubs are riding the recession: "Blackburn Rovers and Manchester City have increased attendances by 10 per cent."