Everyone praises Tévez

Carlos Tévez is probably in the midst of his best spell of form since coming to England from Corinthians in August 2006. He has eleven goals in his last nine games (or, in his last eight starts.) It's as good a scoring streak from a City striker as I can remember. It's certainly a nice change from the bad old days of Jô, Samaras, Corradi and all of our other goalless strikers. And people are starting to take notice. Here's Alan Hansen:

Tevez could come into a game and change it. He gives 100% in every second he is on the pitch. When you look at him in comparison to, say, Robinho, it is like chalk and cheese.

Robinho has got fantastic natural talent, but up against the attitude and ability of Tevez, the Argentine goes into a different stratosphere. The goals he is providing are the icing on the cake and have helped new City manager Roberto Mancini make a flawless start.

Oliver Kay:

Ferguson does not miss the Tévez of last season — moody, unsettled and erratic, scoring only five Barclays Premier League goals — but, as the Argentina forward scored a hat-trick for City against Blackburn Rovers on Monday, extending his recent sequence to 11 goals in his past nine appearances, it was hard to avoid the feeling that, suddenly, as they prepare to renew acquaintances in the Carling Cup semi-final, first leg on Tuesday, United are missing him more than he is them.

Going into December, Tévez had scored only two Premier League goals for City, having been dogged by an ankle injury in the opening weeks of the season, but suddenly he is, to quote Nigel de Jong, his team-mate, “on fire”. He won the Premier League player of the month award for December and, against Blackburn, he demonstrated a verve and flair that has sorely been lacking from some of United’s performances of late.

Mark Ogden:

Monday’s hat-trick against Blackburn made it 11 goals in Tevez’s past eight starts. His publicly voiced frustration at being little more than a goal scoring substitute at Old Trafford is now being vindicated with the goals he is delivering at Eastlands.

No Premier League forward is in sharper form and, with Ferguson due to face up to Tévez when United visit City in next Tuesday’s Carling Cup semi-final first-leg, City midfielder Nigel de Jong claims that his team-mate is silencing his critics.

And Nigel de Jong:

"It is up to the player to show his worth on the pitch," the Dutchman said. "Some people have a different view on Carlos Tevez but if they look at him now, they will change their mind. I'm just glad he's playing for us. There are a lot of great players in the Premier League but you look at his impact the last few weeks. There is a reason he was voted player of the month for December. At this moment he is maybe the best striker in the Premier League. He has 11 goals in eight starts and that says it all; he is doing great for us."

De Jong added: "I hope he will continue that for the rest of the season. He is so important to us. He got a hat-trick against Blackburn but his work rate in every game is unbelievable and he gets his rewards in goals, but he makes other players better as well."

As excited as I was when we signed Tévez, he has been better in the last few weeks than I ever thought he would.