Manchester City defender Pablo Zabaleta believes that his side's current squad is stronger than the one which claimed the Premier League title in 2012.

City finished 11 points behind rivals Manchester United last season, though they have made a strong start under new boss Manuel Pellegrini, winning all four home games so far.

Zabaleta praised the five new additions to the squad, insisting that they have brought balance to the squad, with "at least two top players for every single position".

"I think we have a better squad now than when we won the title," the Argentina international told the Sunday People. "Some players have left and some big players have arrived. Carlos Tevez and Mario Balotelli were important players for us when we were champions and so were lads like Nigel de Jong and Adam Johnson.

"But now it feels like we have at least two top players for every single position in the team. I think the balance we have is very good. The manager has a lot of options and that is good.

"The new signings have all brought something different. Alvaro Negredo, Jesus Navas and Fernandinho have settled in very quickly and have already had a big impact. Stevan Jovetic and Martin Demichelis haven't played a lot of games yet but they will get their chance. So yes I think they have made the team much stronger."

City face Chelsea in the Sunday afternoon kick off.