London (AFP) – Vincent Kompany says Manchester City are happy to wait to seal the Premier League title, while clinging to the hope they can overturn a 3-0 defeat in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Liverpool.
Pep Guardiola’s team would clinch the league with six games remaining if they beat Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, which would make them the quickest champions in Premier League history.
City captain Kompany said the derby against second-placed United was the club’s short-term priority but the players felt they had “unfinished business” against Liverpool.
“We’ve got one chance to do it in the Champions League,” he said. “In the Premier League we’ve got plenty of opportunities to do the job.
“We’ll make it (the Premier League) a priority…. It’s never been like this. You play the league and usually go on holiday but this one feels completely different.”
Kompany, who has already won two Premier League titles at City, said nobody at the club believed the European tie was over despite the chastening defeat at Anfield in midweek.
“We have to live with the consequences of this result but that’s what makes football special,” said the Belgium international.
“We had a very short period of time in this game where everything went wrong but the same can happen in the next game for the opposition. That’s what keeps us believing we can create chances.”
Liverpool’s three-goal advantage means if they score in the away leg next week City will have to come up with five goals if they are to progress to the last four but Kompany said they had the firepower to turn the tie around.
Kompany said City’s fans would have a big role to play in inspiring the team after experiencing the power of the Anfield crowd on Wednesday.
“Fair play to Liverpool — their fans, the club, the way they lived up to this event but it’s our time to do it now but I’ve seen it before so I’ve no doubt they can.”
