Man City v Norwich preview

Manchester City will pose the sternest test yet to Norwich's Premier League credentials, with the Canaries due at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

City have lived up to their pre-season billing as title challengers and currently sit proudly at the summit of the top flight standings.

Roberto Mancini's side have made the best-ever start to a Premier League campaign, with 35 points collected from 13 matches so far.

They are the only unbeaten side in the top four divisions of English football and have opened up a five-point lead on arch-rivals and defending champions Manchester United.

The Blues have now gone 16 Premier League matches without suffering a setback, stretching back to last season, and continue to raise the bar for those below them.

City have taken 46 from a possible 48 points from their last 16 games on home soil and have won their last 11 in a row in front of their own supporters.

Ending that run is the unenviable task facing Norwich this weekend.

The Canaries have settled quickly since returning to the top table, with victory over Queens Park Rangers last weekend keeping them in the top half of the table.

Paul Lambert has placed added importance on fixtures against those sides in and around Norwich, but he is also keen to make his mark against the big boys.

Norwich have already impressed against Manchester United and Arsenal this term, but suffered defeats on both occasions.

Unfortunately for Lambert, history suggests they could suffer at the hands of another title hopeful this weekend.

The Canaries have won just one of their last 36 top flight games away from Carrow Road, losing 24 of those fixtures.

They also came unstuck in their last two meetings with City, suffering a 1-0 Carling Cup defeat in 2007 and a 3-2 defeat in the league back in 2005.

Team news

Manchester City have no injury or suspension concerns to contend with, meaning Mancini can select from a 25-man squad brimming with world-class talent.

The Italian shuffled his pack in midweek for a Carling Cup clash with Arsenal, but will revert back to his tried and tested formula on Saturday.

Joe Hart, Vincent Kompany, David Silva, Sergio Aguero and Yaya Toure are all likely to return to the starting XI for a home date with Norwich.

The likes of Samir Nasri, Adam Johnson and Stefan Savic will, however, hope to have done enough against the Gunners to keep themselves in contention.

Norwich defender Ritchie de Laet is a major doubt for the Canaries as he is nursing a back problem.

Centre-half Zak Whitbread could return to the squad following a hamstring injury having played for the reserves, alongside Dani Ayala, who is still recovering from a knee injury.

Defender Elliott Ward has now been able to step up his rehabilitation from a knee ligament problem suffered in pre-season, but striker James Vaughan (knee) is still out.

Possible starting XIs

Man City: Hart, Richards, Kompany, Lescott, Kolarov, Toure, Barry, De Jong, Silva, Balotelli, Aguero.

Norwich: Ruddy, Naughton, Barnett, Martin, Tierney, Pilkington, Crofts, Surman, Johnson, Holt, Morison.