When a side accumulates the unprecedented haul of 198 points over two seasons, it is safe to say they are driven. When they are on the brink of recording the first domestic treble in English football’s long history, their motivation should go unquestioned. Yet Vincent Kompany, the captain who could enter the record books by lifting all three trophies, offered an insight into Manchester City’s appetite for success as he promised to goad them on to more glory.
“I know this team and they are like a pack of lions,” the defender said. “When this team is hungry, they are such a special team. I'm going to do everything I can to put a bit of blood in that water so this team gets even hungrier.”
City used to be criticised for their title defences, but complacency has rarely been a problem for a side who have won the Premier League and the League Cup in successive seasons, but Kompany has taken pre-emptive steps to ensure it does not become one.
"My style is pretty simple,” he said. “Every now and then when things are getting too comfortable, I go a little aggressive in training or I speak up and say what I think.”
It was an indication of why the Belgian is such a major influence and why Pep Guardiola tends to turn to him at the business end of seasons.
And yet, as Kompany admitted, City’s dressing room tends to be self-policing. “The main thing is that these guys, together with the manager, are always able to understand what the priority is. We focus on winning games. Winning one title was not enough. It had been done before. Back to back; that is special.”
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Manchester City celebrate title with fans at Etihad Stadium
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By becoming the first team in a decade, and the first City side ever to do so, they set another marker. Eight years ago, City ended their 35-year wait for major silverware by winning the FA Cup. Yaya Toure, scorer of the only goal in both the 2011 semi-final and the final, used to talk about making history. His former team-mates have done it.
Securing a treble that has eluded even England’s greatest sides would arguably top last season’s 100-point campaign among unique achievements. "It's not about adding that achievement to my CV,” Kompany said. “I don't care about my CV.”
It is impressive nonetheless. His 11 years in Manchester have brought nine major honours, eight as captain. The exception came in that 2011 final, when Carlos Tevez wore the City armband. Kompany is yet to win the oldest competition as skipper. He led City in 2013, but it was a day they would rather forget as Wigan Athletic executed one of the FA Cup final shocks. Now Watford go to Wembley as similar underdogs: while Javi Gracia’s side have had a fine season, they have lost their last 10 games against City, conceding 19 in the last five.
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Manchester City squad ratings
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Kompany, meanwhile, has anchored a City defence that has only been breached once since their Champions League exit to Tottenham Hotspur. They have only trailed for 83 seconds since January in the Premier League.
“I'm so grateful to Kun [Sergio Aguero] for scoring as quickly he did on Sunday,” Kompany said. And yet what felt the pivotal, as well as the best, goal in the title race came six days earlier, the 25-yard thunderbolt Kompany unleashed to break Leicester’s resistance at the Etihad Stadium.
“My goal feels like it happened two months ago,” said a rare scorer.
Now a serial winner has turned his attentions to the next challenge. “I'm so eager to play the FA Cup final,” Kompany said. “I'm so motivated.”
