The thing about 'what if' is that you never get to know the answer.

Sir Alex Ferguson said on Friday that he felt if Manchester City didn't win the Premier League title, it could cause them untold damage. But he didn't know for certain. After all, when Manchester United failed in disastrous circumstances in 1992, they came back even stronger 12 months later and won the first of 12 Premier League titles in 20 seasons of the rebranded competition.

It is also easy to say that winning the FA Cup last season paved the way for what has happened this; that the experience of winning is infectious and makes further triumphs more likely. But if that is true, how come Birmingham won the Carling Cup last season? How is it Arsenal have not won a title since their 2004 Invincibles went through the entire season without defeat? And explain why Manchester United tossed away an eight-point lead this term with just six games to go.

Therefore, we cannot know what would have happened had Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero not scored those two goals in injury time at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, beyond the fact that Manchester United would now be celebrating a 20th championship and preparing for a parade on tomorrow and their City counterparts would be wallowing in their misfortune.

What we can be certain of is that Sheikh Mansour and the Abu Dhabi-based investment vehicle he has used to bankroll City's ascent up the English aristocracy will now have even greater focus.

At times, City have been forced on to the defensive for the manner in which they have gone about their ambitious project. Particular focus was placed on the wages – said to be around £210,000-per-week – or the fees paid for players of questionable ability. City have defended themselves by pointing out that every other team contending for trophies have spent similar sums, just over a longer period of time.

In truth, they should not have to defend themselves at all. There were few moans about Dave Whelan's investment in Wigan Athletic, which enabled them to rise from what is now League Two to the point where they have just memorably completed eight seasons as a Barclays Premier League club.

The same could be said of numerous examples down the years of clubs exceeding their status, due to an influx of funds from a wealthy benefactor. Some are short-term, some bring problems and, as in the case of Portsmouth, some are a combination of both and drag along massive risk.

The point is, without them, we would be left with the same old order, dividing up the spoils which, in the end, ruins the entire ethos of sporting combat.

Neither Dzeko nor Aguero are in Manchester for any reason but money. All things being equal, they would be back home, in Bosnia or Argentina, far closer to their friends and families. But is the same not true of United's Nemanja Vidic, or even Wigan's Antolin Alcaraz, or any other player you can think of?

They are all are central figures in an industry which is cut-throat in its hunger for success and the City players are now fortunate enough to play for a club owned by a man with the finances to aim high.

A cup has been quickly followed by a league title. Now Europe beckons. Make no mistake, Sheikh Mansour is a man on a mission.