City grind but still make their points

Manchester City 3 QPR 1MANCHESTER CITY now embody the classic mode of champions who can grind out results while not playing well. This early season stutter has accrued seven points from nine as they head into the international break promising "the best is yet to come".

Jose Mourinho, here to scout Real Madrid’s opening Champions League opponents, will take note.

Those were the words of Vincent Kompany, the City captain. A cool customer, he is unconcerned that it is five games since City returned a clean sheet. Joe Hart has picked the ball from his goal five times this campaign, with City scoring eight.

There were more nervy moments in this win after Yaya Toure’s early opener was matched by Bobby Zamora’s 59th-minute strike before City instantly hit back. Edin Dzeko answered within 120 seconds and Carlos Tevez collected City’s third in added time.

“Even last year when we were winning all the games it wasn’t about the clean sheets and because we’re so offensive at the moment it’s a bit detrimental to the statistics because I still think we’re defending well,” Kompany said. “Just look at the difficult months. December, January, February – that’s when we’ve carried the team in the past and it won’t be any different [this season]. At the moment everybody wants to play, everybody wants to score.”

David Platt admitted City are playing below par. So what is missing? “Two points out of nine that’s all,” Kompany said with a smile. “You’ve got seven points out of nine, you’ve just won the Community Shield over Chelsea. I just see very good periods in the game like the first 35 minutes against Liverpool. We showed that we could dominate a top team. And today, actually, most of the game. It was just that the chances that we do have we have to work a bit harder [to finish].

“But we give very few chances away and so sometimes at this stage of the season we’ve been unlucky to concede. We have massive amounts of confidence. We could be looking at the fact that we’re not dismantling teams but just look at what’s happened this season, the amount of [fresh] talent – it’s a lot more competitive, you feel that every team has strengthened. I don’t see any team that’s weaker this season than last. That’s why for us to get the results is good, winning is the most important still.”

Following the international break, City travel to Stoke City on September 15th, then three days later visit Real Madrid in the Champions League.

“I’m leaving for internationals now,” Kompany said. “And if I had to leave one message for the team it would be: ‘Well done guys, we’ve always battled hard. We’ve shown how strong we are as a team and character.’ If we are able to get results playing like, what people say, might not be the best, then what will happen when we do? The best is yet to come.”

Guardian Service