City won’t give up their title easily
CHAMPIONS WON’T REST ON THEIR LAURELS Community Shield victory was only the start, insists skipper.
Vincent Kompany has warned Manchester City’s rivals that the Premier League champions won’t rest on their laurels as they aim to follow their record-breaking season with another title triumph.
Pep Guardiola’s side swept to the title last term with a record 100 points, amassing more wins and scoring more goals than any previous champions in the Premier League era.
Inspired by Kevin de Bruyne, Sergio Aguero, Leroy Sane, Raheem Sterling and David Silva, City’s eye-catching style earned comparisons with the finest teams in English football history.
But no team has successfully defended the Premier League title since Manchester United in 2008 and 2009, while City were unable to maintain the standards of their 2012 and 2014 title wins in the campaigns that followed.
City captain Kompany admits his team lacked urgency and desire in those failed title defences under Roberto Mancini and Manuel Pellegrini, but the Belgian has sensed a far more focused approach from Guardiola’s group.
“Before saying anything or doing anything, you want to observe and see if you see the same mistakes which we’ve done previously,” Kompany said.
“I’ve got to be honest, there was a feeling when we’ve won the league previously, you came back in to the training sessions and everybody was a little bit less intense, a little bit more smiles and happiness, but a little bit less committed.
“Teams that actually wanted it more could hurt us. I came in to training this time and it’s completely different.”
City have already made a positive impression ahead of the new campaign by winning the Community Shield with an emphatic 2-0 victory over Chelsea at Wembley last Sunday.
That was the perfect preparation for tomorrow’s Premier League opener at Arsenal and Kompany added: “We realise this is precious and we want to hold on to it.
“We’ve lost two Community Shields before – and this was a strong Chelsea team. We played really well against them and that, for me, is a great sign.”
City were so strong last term that Guardiola has needed to make only one major close-season signing – landing Algerian winger Riyad Mahrez from Leicester in a £60 million deal.
And defender Kyle Walker epitomised the squad’s hunger for more silverware by cutting short his post-World Cup holiday to return to training.
Walker had just two weeks off following England’s run to the World Cup semifinals, but he said: “I had the option that if I wanted to come back later I could, but I wanted to be involved.
“I left Manchester City at the end of last season in a good place and I wanted to pick up where we left off. I’m not resting on this. It is a short career. I want to win as much as I can.” – AFP