Manchester City supporters headed into this season with hopes that this would finally be the year that they finally overtook city rivals Manchester United.
Having added players such as Sergio Aguero during the summer, the pressure was on for manager Roberto Mancini to deliver the goods.
With the weight of expectation on his shoulders, Sports Mole has taken a look at how Mancini has dealt with the demands placed upon him.
August
The first match of the season saw City take on United in the Community Shield at Wembley, an encounter which found the Blues with a 2-0 lead going into the break. However, United hit back with three goals after the restart to secure the shield.
However, Mancini's men recovered to hit 12 goals in the opening three league matches against Swansea City, Bolton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur.
September
Sergio Aguero notched a hat-trick as Wigan Athletic were comfortably disposed of in early September, before City surrendered a two-goal lead at Fulham to draw 2-2.
Everton were beaten 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium in City's next league match as they returned to the top of the league.
The club's debut in the Champions League proved to be a slow one, with a home draw against Napoli accompanied by a 2-0 loss in Bayern Munich.
The Munich fixture would also see the end of Carlos Tevez's career as a City player after the Argentine refused to come on as a substitute. The 27-year-old would soon disappear back to his homeland without the club's permission.
There was no such problem in the Carling Cup though, with Owen Hargreaves among the scorers as City dumped out holders Birmingham City.
October
October will be a month that will last long in the memories of every City fan. Not only did they claim a last-minute winner against Villarreal in the Champions League and advance past Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Carling Cup, they also struck six with only one in reply at Old Trafford - a result that sent shockwaves across the world of football.
November
Premier League wins at Queens Park Rangers and Newcastle United saw City tighten their grip on top spot, but it was Europe that was proving to be difficult for Mancini's players.
A 3-0 win in Villarreal was followed by a 2-1 loss against Napoli, meaning that City's fate was no longer in their hands.
Arsenal were beaten in the Carling Cup as City moved through to the semi-finals, while Mario Balotelli was handed a red card during the final league game of the match at Liverpool - a game that ended 1-1.
December
If October was City's most memorable month to date, than December could well be the one they would like to forget.
Despite beating Munich in their final group game, City were demoted to the Europa League following a third-place finish.
Norwich City and Stoke City were easily beaten in the league, but they suffered their first league defeat away at Chelsea courtesy of late penalty from Frank Lampard.
David Silva claimed the only goal in a 1-0 win over Arsenal at the Etihad, before a 0-0 Boxing Day draw with West Bromwich Albion allowed Man United to draw level on points with City at the top.
After that result, City hold a five-goal advantage over Sir Alex Ferguson's side.
Liam Apicella
