Mancini will pay price for boring a billionaire

BY A conservative estimate, the 50 players who make up the senior squads of Manchester City and Chelsea will split £300 million (€343m) between them this year, an average of £6m (€6.8m) a man.

The game we saw at Stamford Bridge yesterday suggests the fortunes being thrown at these clubs by their billionaire owners are subject to the law of diminishing returns.

At least the Chelsea billionaire got to celebrate a couple of goals with his friends in his private box. Wherever Sheikh Mansour was watching the match, it is to be hoped he was watching alone.