COLOSSUS KOMPANY HAS RAISED THE BAR FOR CITY
IT’S strange how you can feel sympathy for a man who scored the goal that might win the Premier League title but that was the case with Vincent Kompany. When he crashed that shot into the top corner against Leicester, I expected him to be in the spotlight all week, but events elsewhere were so spectacular that he ended up being overlooked. It is time to put that right. Kompany has provided unbelievable leadership over 10 years for Manchester City and it would be fitting if he made the difference in the title race. I actually believe he is improving as a player as I can see aspects of his game that were not always obvious. Clearly Pep Guardiola thought Aymeric Laporte and John Stones would be better options in possession, but I watched Kompany on Monday, knocking it around with confidence against Leicester, and could see the manager’s influence. He is more prepared to take on challenging passes than five-yard balls. I’ve played against him many times and the best perspective I can give is that I used to make a conscious decision to try to unsettle his partner rather than get involved in a tussle with him. He is a man-mountain: quick, powerful and aggressive. He is everything a central defender should be. There have been some huge figures in the Premier League in his position and Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk is currently out on his own. But Kompany’s place in the top three to have played in this era has long been assured. He is a colossus.