Nigel de Jong has claimed that Carlos Tevez's weight loss is the reason behind his teammate's impressive form at the start of the Premier League season.

Tevez has scored three goals in as many games for the champions and De Jong has praised the striker's new figure.

The Dutch midfielder said: "Carlos looks slim now. He had a little belly but that's gone.

"It's always hard to get him off the ball but I'd rather have a slim Tevez than one with a belly.

"He's on fire and when you have a Tevez who's on fire it's good for any team."

Roberto Mancini's side have claimed four points from their first two games.

Written by
Callum Mulvihill