Kompany: City benefiting from competition for places

Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany believes the Premier League favourites are reaping the rewards for their tremendous strength in depth.

City have been near faultless as they top the table by two points with a 100 per cent record after three matches, while they are yet to concede a goal.

Manuel Pellegrini’s star-studded squad are the only team with nine points from three rounds and Kompany thinks the increased competition for places, following the big-money arrivals of Nicolas Otamendi and Raheem Sterling, has contributed to City’s stellar start to the campaign.

“You can’t really afford to do anything wrong during the week leading up to the game,” said Kompany, who has scored two goals in three games as a centre-back in 2015-16.

“Then, during the game, you can’t do anything wrong either as there is always someone looking over your shoulder, waiting, who is just as good as you.

“If they are in a better moment and they deserve a chance, they will take your place.

“You have got to be at the top of your game. This is what you are seeing, a group of guys who know that they need to perform. If they don’t, someone else will do it.

“It is so important in any top team to have quality players all over. The extra competition is good, really good. You don’t play for a top team unless you have that.

“If you look at the schedule, you could end up with 50 to 60 games and that is impossible for one team. If you want to go for every trophy, we have got [Jason] Denayer, [Martin] Demichelis, Otamendi, [Eliaquim] Mangala and myself [in central defence]. You need that to go for it.”