Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has dismissed reports of a bust-up between Mario Balotelli and Jerome Boateng as a "normal situation".
Carlos Tevez's 10th goal of the season after just four minutes proved enough to earn City a 1-0 win over Bolton on Saturday, on a day when Mancini claimed his side had blown 14 clear goalscoring opportunities in three recent home games.
It should have been a cause for unquestioned celebration.
Instead, the Italian was on the back foot, fending off his touchline row with Tevez after the striker had objected to being substituted in the final stages, and also a punch-up between Balotelli and Boateng on Friday that ended up being blasted across the back pages.
"No player is happy to go off," said Mancini of Tevez.
"This is normal. I want all players to be like Carlos and want to stay on the pitch.
"Carlos is an important player for us but at that point in the game, we needed someone taller."
That man was Balotelli, who for once managed to stay out of trouble, having come to blows with Boateng barely 24 hours earlier.
"It was not a tough decision to include Balotelli," argued Mancini.
"Nothing happened on Friday. It was a normal situation that happens with every team every day.
"And Mario played well against Bolton. All he was missing were the goals."
The 20-year-old was undoubtedly amongst the players Mancini claimed had been "too selfish" at times during a largely one-sided contest in which Bolton maintained an interest thanks only to a combination of good luck and excellent goalkeeping from Jussi Jaaskelainen.
David Silva was at his wondrous best, with Yaya Toure producing his most effective display on home soil since his big-money arrival from Barcelona this summer.
Indeed, aside from player relationship issues, the only cause for complaint afterwards were the needless booking for Tevez and what Mancini felt was an incorrect dismissal of Aleksander Kolarov for two yellow cards that will rule them both out of next weekend's trip to relegation-threatened West Ham. Kolo Toure is almost certain to miss that game too with a calf injury.
"It seems those decisions always go against us," Mancini said about the tackle by Kolarov on Sam Ricketts which cemented his exit 11 minutes from time.
"Kolarov got to the ball first."
As it was the same official who ruled Silva to be offside when he set up Tevez for a first half tap-in when Gareth Barry was the man who strayed beyond the last defender, Mancini had legitimate cause for complaint.
However, with key fixtures involving new leaders Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea looming over the next three rounds of matches, it is not completely beyond the realms of possibility that City could assume top spot by New Year's Day.
"We can see the table but for the moment we must continue to work and continue to win if it is possible," said Mancini.
"We can look at the table at the end of the season."
