City are making progress - Hughes

Mark Hughes has rejected the notion that Manchester City's season will be regarded as a failure if they finish outside the top four.

After a short break in Abu Dhabi and a meeting with owner Sheikh Mansour, Hughes is now ready to get City's season back on track again after five successive draws.

"With the resources we have, people are saying the top four is the minimum requirement. That is actually not the case," said Hughes.

"The clubs you have to overcome to get there are not just the best teams in the Premier League, they are also some of the best teams in the world.

"That is the challenge for everybody. And it is very difficult.

"What we are looking for is progress and I would defy anyone to say we have not made progress from where we were last year."