Hughes: Big four are starting to crack

WIGAN, England: Mark Hughes believes Manchester City's impressive start to the season proves the Premier League's big-four are no longer invincible.

City are showing signs of being able to compete with the best in England and they are now in fifth place, five points behind leaders Manchester United with a game in hand, after grinding out a 1-1 draw with 10 men at Wigan on Sunday.

Hughes's 120-million-pounds ($195 million) spending spree during the close-season has laid the foundations for City to break the monopoly on the Champions League places enjoyed for so long by United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal. With Tottenham and Aston Villa also strong and Liverpool and Chelsea losing this weekend, Hughes senses the Premier League's elite are starting to get twitchy.