Zabaleta braced for tougher test
14 August 2012 19:30
Manchester City fullback Pablo Zabaleta believes this season's English Premier League campaign will be more difficult than the last.
However, he also conceded City want to do better in the Champions League, after a poor debut season in Europe's most prestigious club competition.
Zabaleta has identified four teams in England who could stop City from retaining their title, and feels the team need to improve their away form if they wish to keep hold of their Premier League crown.
"The Premier League remains our main focus because that is the biggest prize in England," he told
FourFourTwo.
"We know teams will make it even more difficult but we are determined to keep making history with Manchester City. Motivation won't be a problem.
"We didn't have the best Champions League campaign and we want to do better this time. It takes time before you are established as a top European team and we will learn from our experiences last year.
"I think Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham will challenge again. For the last three or four years, it's been City and those four sides and I can't see why that would change this season.
"At the beginning of 2012, we dropped too many points away from home, drawing with West Brom and losing at Sunderland and Everton."
City begin the league season at home to promoted Southampton on Sunday.
