Kevin De Bruyne has suggested that Manchester City could still be the best team in the Premier League despite trailing Liverpool in the title race.
Despite a comfortable 3-0 victory over Arsenal on Sunday, City remain 14 points adrift of top spot after 17 games.
Their chances of winning the championship for the third season in a row appear to be all but over, with Liverpool having dropped only two points in 2019/20.
But De Bruyne believes a failure to finish on top of the pile this term would not make City any worse a team.
"I think the mentality has been the same since the beginning. Obviously we know we’ve not been at our best this year but it happens," he said.
"At this level the minimum details make the difference and I think every time we lost a game we showed a good reaction, so that shows that the mentality is good.
"We know we lost too many points up until now but that’s the way it goes, if football was the best team winning all the time it would be boring, wouldn’t it? We know we need to work hard and we try to do that.
"Are City still the best team? Well, I think we are one of. Obviously we are not in the top position but it doesn’t undermine the qualities that we have.
"Whatever sport you play it’s not the best team who always win but that doesn’t mean that Liverpool aren’t great, but I think we are up there with them but we didn’t perform to our level this year.
"Obviously the goal was going for the title, we know that the gap is big but I think you’re a professional playing at this level and you need to perform week in, week out even if you don’t win it.
"We need to try to find the rhythm, there’s two cup competitions to play plus the Champions League this season.
"Like I said if it was as easy as ‘City are going to win the league’ why would we play it? Everybody works so hard in this business that whoever is on top at the end of the year deserves it because they were the best.”
Pep Guardiola's side face Oxford in the League Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday, before hosting Leicester on the Premier League this weekend.
READ MORE
Even now, appointing Mikel Arteta as manage would be a major risk for Arsenal
Long read: It's not the economy, stupid – how football cost Labour a general election
Eddie Howe deserves more credit for his ability to turn around Bournemouth's winless slumps
‘After Manchester City’s recent form, maybe they’re the underdogs against Manchester United!’ Former Red Devils defender on this weekend’s derby
‘Arteta, Alonso, Emery, me… none of us were physical players – we needed the understanding of the game. That probably helped us move into management’: Premier League boss reveals reasons for natural career progression
