Sven-Goran Eriksson is happy enough to own up to making a mistake with the Italian striker and now looks to have based his assault on the Premier League’s top four around Bianchi’s goals.

When he slid in on the ball on the end of a quick, sweeping City counter-attack, it had Aston Villa on the back foot within just 11 minutes.

The visiting side were never quite as good again, hence Eriksson’s willingness to spend more of owner Thaksin Shinawatra’s fortune next month and in the summer.

But Bianchi is now talking the language of a top striker. This was his third goal in four games and Aston Villa had to rev themselves up to maximum warp to equalise through John Carew.

He is about power, strength, traditionally English in its way, while Bianchi is an Italian job – timing with a little theatre.

“I am happy about the goals but I know I can still play better,” said Bianchi, who cost £8.8million on the back of 18 goals in 37 games in a season with Reggina in Serie A.

It looked like money down the drain when he failed to build on his debut goal at West Ham and he was dropped.

“Bianchi had a difficult time because I don’t think he settled in that well because of me,” said Eriksson. “I didn’t play him, so I am very happy to see him [playing so well] now.

“It can be my fault. Sometimes when you buy players you must be patient and let them play even to think they are struggling a little. But it’s good to see, good to see him score and, physically, he is very strong.”

City in general had to be resolute, something missing from their football away from Manchester since beating West Ham on the opening day of the season.

They always beat Aston Villa don’t they? One Villa win in the last 13 games between these teams shows you how easy it should have been. But with manager Martin O’Neill as excited and as argumentative at times as a kid at Christmas, Villa went close to turning those odds on their head.

The contrast between big Carew and designer Bianchi was huge but Carew was, as O’Neill said, “immense” and it took a magnificent save from goalkeeper Joe Hart, pushing a Carew piledrive against a post, to stop City losing.

But you look at this City team, thrown together at the last minute on video evidence, recommendations, hope and prayers and there is a style about it.

“It has been difficult but, with my team-mates’ help, I can score goals and it is becoming easier for me,” said Bianchi about his first four months in England.

“Now I play a lot and it’s good for my confidence. I feel sharp and know I can do well. I study English a lot. I can speak with my team-mates. Before I could not communicate and on the pitch that is important.

“I have an English teacher and she speaks with me all the time which makes learning the language much easier.”

We have an Italian new English national manager who wants to learn the language in a month haven’t we? Could we have stumbled on something here?

“Fabio Capello wants to learn English in one month but he is a great man. I’m sure he can do it,” said Bianchi. “In two months I learnt to speak a little bit. Hopefully, soon I will be fluent.

“I watch films with subtitles but I also watch a lot of TV, especially the sporting programmes. I don’t watch EastEnders or Coronation Street – but maybe I will start.

“I don’t know Capello but he can borrow my English teacher if he wants. I think Capello already knows the English game so he will work very well here. I don’t know whether he will like your favourite foods but he will adapt to the culture.

“Capello should come to City a lot because we have very good young English players.”

Eh, you’re not wrong there lad.