Roberto Mancini was appointed in December 2009 as the man to make realise the dream, knocking cross-town rivals Manchester United off their perch, and the former Inter Milan coach proved himself equal to whatever the job threw his way.
Since taking over from the sacked Mark Hughes, Italian Mancini has endured the initial disappointment of failing to qualify for the Champions League in 2010, suffered criticism over his style of football and even quelled mutiny within the ranks.
Initially, City's detractors said they were a bunch of individuals, lacking the required team bond that has been the hallmark of United and Chelsea in the past decade.
Mario Balotelli's volatile behaviour on and off the field, including an incident in which his apartment caught light after fireworks were set off inside, also tested Mancini's resolve, as did a post-Christmas dip in away form that let United back in the hunt.
Mancini never took his eye off the ball, however, and his biggest success has been instilling a togetherness and harmony while also managing the expectations of the fans, many of whom still appear giddy at their club's recent rise from the shadows rather than arrogantly expecting silverware.
Despite setting a hot pace for the first half of the season, when they thrashed United 6-1 at Old Trafford, City's age old ability to shoot themselves in the foot appeared to have returned and they trailed United by eight points with six matches to go after a 1-0 defeat at Arsenal on April 8.
As United wobbled badly, City's five-match winning streak, including a 1-0 home victory over their title rivals, put them on the brink of winning the championship.
