Aleksandar Kolarov believes it was Manchester City’s despair at the 4-2 derby defeat at Manchester United in April that propelled the club to their current record-equalling run of nine league victories.
Sunday’s 2-0 victory at Everton matched the best set by the City team of 1912. Six of these wins came last season after Louis van Gaal’s side trounced Manuel Pellegrini’s team at Old Trafford on 12 April.
City subsequently bounced back in resilient fashion, and Kolarov said: “The defeat at Old Trafford was our lowest point of the season and after that we won nine games in a row. It is difficult when we lose a game against United but maybe we found some good things in that game. From there we started to play better and better and we are now here in the new season with three wins in three games.”
City next face United on 25 October, again at Old Trafford. Kolarov is unsure if the club can remain unbeaten until then. “We have a lot of games to play,” the left-back said. “In September we play every three days. It is a lot of games to play but obviously a derby is a derby and we will try to beat United like they will try to beat us.”
City have drawn Juventus, Sevilla, and Wolfsburg in the Champions League. Kolarov, speaking before he knew who they would face, thinks City should reach the quarter-finals at least. Pellegrini has taken the club into the last 16 in the past two seasons.
“With the team we have we have to be in the last eight of the Champions League as a minimum,” he said. “If we get there anything is possible. You need a bit of luck in the draw but I think we have to make one or two steps more because for the last couple of years we have made the last 16 and that isn’t enough for this team.”
Kolarov revealed that the usually publicly relaxed Pellegrini can be different with his players. “He tries to be always calm – he’s not always that way in the dressing room,” said the 29-year-old. “But we are watching him, we know that he is always calm and so we try to listen to what he wants from us and to try to do what we’re doing in training every day.”
Watford are Saturday’s visitors to the Etihad Stadium as City seek the record-breaking 10th consecutive victory. “It is good always when you are winning but the record is not the title so it isn’t important how many wins you have in a row, it’s important to win the title in May,” said Kolarov. “I think they will come to our stadium with the idea not to lose. They know it will be difficult to win in our stadium. From our side it will be very difficult because we have won three games and now maybe everyone is thinking we will play against them 100%.
“These games are always difficult. They like to play football and have signed a lot of new players so it will be a very difficult game for us, but if we won against Chelsea [3-0] at home then we have to beat Watford. If we are not focused it will be very difficult.”
