Joe Hart believes Manchester City’s 2-0 win over Roma at the Stadio Olimpico was a “coming of age” display in the Champions League as Manuel Pellegrini’s side reached the knockout stage of the competition.
This is the second consecutive season City have done so after the manager guided the club to the last 16 for a first time last year. The English champions finished second in Group E, three points better off than CSKA Moscow who lost at Bayern Munich, the team City memorably defeated 3-2 in their previous match to keep their hopes in the competition alive.
But after soaking up incessant pressure from Roma, particularly during the first half at a hostile Olimpico, a fine Samir Nasri strike on the hour and Pablo Zabaleta’s late second confirmed City’s qualification.
Asked if it had been a coming of age performance, away in the Champions League, Hart said: “Yeah it was about time we did. We can’t get away from the fact we started the campaign poorly but we have come good at the right time when we needed to and we have won the game.”
For Hart this was a defining European performance. “Yeah it was, but we need to build on it now,” he added. “We got ourselves all the way through last time and we struggled against Barcelona so we have to look to go positive and see what we can do.
“It’s where we want to be. As much as an achievement it is, it is where we should be. I think we can’t get away from the fact we were poor to start with but we have come good at the right time and the boys are playing well.”
City’s win came without the starting XI featuring Vincent Kompany, David Silva, Yaya Touré and Sergio Agüero because of injury. “We can’t get away from that fact, they are four players who would get into most teams in the world,” said Hart. “But the boys, we have always shown we are a strong squad and that’s how you win things and we have won things recently by doing that. We look forward to carrying on.”
Of City’s possible opponents after Monday’s draw when the Champions League resumes in the new year, Hart said: “The draw is going to take care of itself. It is what it is and we are just happy we are in it. We are confident we can do well against anyone but it is Leicester now [on Saturday] and we have to turn our eyes to that. That’s our next big game.”
This was a sixth consecutive win in all competitions for the Premier League champions and Hart admitted City have grown in confidence. “After the international break [of last month] – we went into it having struggled a bit if I’m honest,” said Hart. “We struggled at West Ham [losing] and QPR [a draw] was a good result for us. Since then we have not really looked back. We got that win against Swansea. The [Jonjo] Shelvey free-kick at the end of the game, I thought it was in, it wasn’t and we won the game. We have not looked back since.”
Of his own form – Hart made a fine save from José Holebas’s header on to a post when City led 1-0 – he said: “I feel good at the moment, I feel like I am doing my bit for the team. When the team is working well, I am doing my bit and the boys are doing it at the other end – thought Martín [Demichelis] and Elia [Managala] were brilliant today as well as [Pablo] Zabaleta and Gaël [Clichy].”
