Too early to say Man City the best — Kompany
LONDON: Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany says it is too soon to say his side is the best English Premier League team in history.
City was confirmed as champion yesterday, with five games still to go, when its closest challenger, Manchester United, was surprisingly beaten 10 at home by bottom side West Brom.
Pep Guardiola’s side has scored 93 goals in 33 games so far this season, putting it 16 points clear of United at the top.
Its stylish, pacey, fluent brand of football has drawn compliments from all areas, but Kompany says only time will tell how good they really are.
‘‘People are asking whether we are the best premier league side in history, but the answer is no, because we have a lot of work to still do,’’ he told City’s official website.
‘‘But in our defence, we can only be judged on a period of time, so we need two, three or four years in a row and if at the end of this we are consistent like we have been this season then perhaps, but we have taken one step — that’s all we can do at the moment.’’
The 32yearold said he felt proud to win the title with City for the third time in seven years.
‘‘It’s special,’’ he said. ‘‘I’m privileged to be part of such a great group, great players, good guys, good mentality, good atmosphere in the team, every single time I’m on the pitch I enjoy it.
‘‘I’m extremely proud about this and extremely aware of how fast these moments can go.’’
Kompany and several of his teammates later toasted their title triumph with fans.
Guardiola’s squad kicked off its celebrations unexpectedly early as Bernardo Silva, John Stones, Fabian Delph and Kyle Walker joined the skipper at a packed Hale Wine Bar.
Word quickly got around through social media and City fans queued outside a venue still advertising United’s televised clash with the Baggies in a bid to join fellow supporters inside, where the players were seen belting out Oasis’ Wonderwall and being serenaded by supporters expressing their delight and gratitude.
Kompany and co posed for photos as they left the venue at 10.30pm, leaving to a chorus of ‘‘campiones, ole, ole, ole’’.
‘‘You can’t stay in your front room when you win the premier league,’’ a City fan said as he left the venue to no doubt continue the celebrations elsewhere.
Newcastle virtually assured its premier league status for another season by coming from behind to beat a depleted Arsenal side 21 at St James’ Park.
Rafa Benitez’s team passed the 40point mark widely viewed as a guarantee against relegation and is 13 points clear of thirdtolast Southampton with five games remaining.
Paris St Germain claimed its seventh Ligue 1 title in emphatic style with a 71 home win against defending champion AS Monaco yesterday.
PSG, which netted four goals in the opening halfhour, has 87 points with five games remaining and lead secondplaced Monaco by 17 points.
PSV Eindhoven claimed a 24th Dutch league title at a jubilant Philips Stadion yesterday after a comprehensive 30 victory over Ajax Amsterdam.
The victory took manager Phillip Cocu’s side to 80 points from 31 games, an unassailable 10point lead over secondplaced Ajax with three rounds of the season remaining. It was its third championship in four seasons. — DPA/Reuters/AP