At the time, the Bulgarian international had slipped to third in the City pecking order behind Robinho and Craig Bellamy, and his prospects of hauling himself off the Blues' substitutes' bench looked slim.
On Monday night, Petrov showed exactly why his manager had been "unwilling" - as Petrov's agent said - to let Harry Redknapp snap up a last-minute bargain.
Not only would that have been a weakening of City's impressive squad, but would also have strengthened Spurs, who are shaping up to be one of City's top six rivals.
It may have seemed tough on Petrov, but the player must have got some reassurance from the fact that Hughes did not hesitate to throw him into the fray when he lost Stevie Ireland to a stomach bug.
And the response Hughes got from Petrov must have reassured the manager that his hard line was correct.
Some players might have gone off in a sulk, determined to draw their fabulous pay while going through the motions. But Petrov steeled himself and simply set about showing his manager that he is still a worthy asset, even amongst City's gaggle of superstars.
The winger turned to show Hughes his name and number after scoring his goal, something of which some sections of the media tried to make a meal.
Hughes shrugged off the pointed goal celebration - he wants his players fighting hard for their places and if that entails a moment or two of defiance, so be it.
The manager was clearly delighted with the contribution of the man who came in from the cold. He created the first goal for Carlos Tevez, bent in the second from a free-kick and formed a two-man sprint relay team with Craig Bellamy which made the Hammers look leaden at times.
It was a high point of the night for Hughes, on an evening when the positives were flowing freely.
Petrov impression
"The great thing about Monday night was that Martin came in and made a real impression on the game," said Hughes.
"That shows what a tremendous professional he is, because he has had to be patient and bide his time, and when he got his opportunity he made a positive impact.
"That's because he trains correctly, and works hard every day. He knows that he has to, because when you get the opportunity you have to be in the right physical state to make an impact."
Of course, heading into the Villa game next Monday night, Petrov's impact leaves Hughes with an instant dilemma.
With Emmanuel Adebayor a virtual cert to step back in after his suspension - unless the FA think otherwise - someone has to give way.
Two-goal Carlos Tevez, and player of the moment Craig Bellamy should be safe, and the qualities of Gareth Barry and Nigel de Jong will be indispensable in a very tough game at Villa Park.
So that means one of the two wingers takes the fall, and with Bellamy proving a big hit running that left-hand channel in recent matches, Petrov may well be that man.
That would be harsh, but it is a fact of life when you have a squad like the one assembled by Hughes.
The manager shrugs off the dilemma, saying: "I am going to have lots of options but it's down to me to make sure I pick the right options for the right opposition.
"It's a good problem to have. It's exciting, as people can see what we are capable of. We have good players playing well and good players still to come back.
"We are in decent shape. Things seem to be falling into place and we are playing well, and with confidence."
The good news for City fans who were thrilled by the quality of some of their team's attacking play against West Ham, is that Hughes believes they have yet to hit top gear.
"We have a group of players who have come together in a short space of time but have hit the ground running, and that is a consequence of bringing in top-drawer players who understand what is needed," said Hughes.
"I am absolutely convinced we will produce even higher quality football, because of the quality we already have, and the quality which will be available to us in the future.
"We have Roque Santa Cruz back up and running, as well as Michael Johnson, while Vinny Kompany is probably only a couple of weeks away."
Should Petrov play against Aston Villa? Have your say.
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city col, prestwich (30/09/2009 at 12:28)