Thursday 22 March 2018 18:02, UK
Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany has challenged his team-mates to maintain their "mojo" as they enter the most crucial stage of the season.
City's players will need to contend with a congested fixture list once they return from the international break, with vital league games against Everton and Manchester United and the Champions League quarter-final tie against Liverpool crammed into an 11-day period.
Pep Guardiola's side are currently 16 points clear at the top of the Premier League and among the favourites to win the Champions League, but Kompany is taking nothing for granted.
When asked if he was entering the most crucial days of his career, the Belgium international said: "Not of my career but of this season, for sure.
"You need that positive vibe to finish the season strongly, carry on playing at the same level but then as well going into the next season and feeling that you still have that mojo.
"You can easily lose it even if you're champions. It is a big 11 days when it comes to the bigger picture."
Manchester City could potentially claim the league title with a win over United on April 7 and Kompany admits the upcoming derby is currently the talk of the town.
"It is the only thing people talk about in Manchester right now," said Kompany. "The Champions League is obviously massive, somehow I feel like we do get a little bit of support from the United fans for that fixture [against Liverpool].
"But other than that the game against United is the biggest thing to talk about but we still have to play Everton."
Kompany could line up against club team-mates Raheem Sterling, John Stones and Kyle Walker this summer when Belgium take on England at the World Cup in Russia.
The two teams face each other in the final Group G fixture on June 28 and and Kompany is hoping both sides will have already secured progression to the knockout stage of the competition before they meet in Kaliningrad.
"There is always banter when you're in the dressing room with English lads," he said. "I think both of us really hope that we'll have six points before we get to that game. No disrespect to any of the teams that we play, but that's what we hope.
"After that, it will be a good old game, it will be nice - like a derby."
