IT’S CITY V CITY IN TITLE TILT
MANCHESTER CITY captain Fernandinho reckons the only team that can stop Pep Guardiola’s men from retaining the title is Manchester City.
The Brazilian midfielder believes he’s now got a Mancunian mentality as he goes into his ninth season at The Etihad.
And at the age of 36, his hunger for trophies remains undiminished after lifting four Premier Leagues, five League Cups and the FA Cup since his arrival from Shakhtar Donetsk.
City open their title defence at Tottenham today and Fernandinho (below) said: “We will try to play our type of football game and we will try to perform at the same level again.
“We will try to improve on last season.
“For sure, all the opponents have invested, they have bought new players, they changed their sides a little bit and for sure it is going to be a tough task this season.
“From us,
I think the biggest challenge can be us.
“If you relax and think the job is done, this is the biggest mistake.
“If we keep going, the same way we have kept going since last season, I think we have a great chance of becoming champions again.”
Fernandinho resisted the temptation to holiday abroad after deciding to take up City’s offer of a 12-month extension.
And he revealed he now feels like one of the locals.
He said: “I enjoyed my summer in Manchester. It wasn’t bad to be honest.
“The weather was ‘okay’ but we enjoyed it.
“After eight years I believe I am a Mancunian – or mostly Mancunian!”