Ruben Dias admits Manchester City cannot rely on experience alone as they bid to repeat last season’s stunning treble success.
The champions moved back within a point of Premier League leaders Liverpool with a 3-1 derby win over rivals Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
That sets up a huge showdown with the Merseysiders at Anfield next weekend and they face the other team in the title race, Arsenal, later this month.
While they will also hope to progress in the Champions League and FA Cup, City’s impressive track record over the course and distance could be a significant – but Dias insists there is far more to it than that.
The City defender said: “Every new year it is a new challenge and every new year we must overcome what we’ve done before.
“Even though what’s done is done and it’s beautiful, we know if we want to do it again we’ve got to go strong and deep again.
“We are the same people. We are the same players being treble winners or not, that’s why we became treble winners last season. That’s why we want to win again.”
City dominated the derby but the first half proved a frustrating experience after Marcus Rashford fired United into an unexpected lead with a stunning strike in the eighth minute.
It was not until after the break Pep Guardiola’s side were able to turn the game around with two superb goals from the outstanding Phil Foden while the irrepressible Erling Haaland added a late third.
City manager Guardiola hailed Foden, who has now scored 18 goals this term, as one of the best players in the Premier League after the game and Dias could understand why.
The Portugal international said: “I must agree he’s one of them for sure. He’s always been special, he keeps on being special.
“It’s no surprise for me and for all of us in the team and in the world of football. I’m very happy for him and let’s allow him to continue.
“He’s obviously got a special ability. That’s why he’s Phil Foden and that’s why we all recognise the kind of player he is.”
City are next in action when they host FC Copenhagen in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday, a game they go into with a 3-1 aggregate lead.
Dias wants to get that assignment out of the way first before switching his attention to the battle with Liverpool.
He said: “The derby was definitely important. Obviously it was a special one for us, but more than anything else it’s the three points and we move forward.
“Now Champions League, focus on the next one, that’s the most important. Then we’ll focus on next weekend.”
Germany 7-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina: Nagelsmann's side thump visitors to confirm top spot
Germany posted a commanding 7-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina in their penultimate fixture in Freiburg to secure top spot in Group A3 of the Nations League.
Florian Wirtz and Tim Kleindienst scored two goals each while Jamal Musiala, Kai Havertz and Leroy Sane were also on the scoresheet as the Germans posted their fourth win and maintained a five-point lead over the Netherlands in second place.
Julian Nagelsmann's side made a blistering start as Musiala headed home with just 78 seconds on the clock.
Borussia Monchengladbach striker Kleindienst then opened his account for Germany as Robert Andrich's effort deflected off him on its way into the goal in the 23rd minute.
Havertz ensured the hosts went into the interval with a three-goal lead, while Wirtz added two more, including a superb free-kick, before the clock struck the hour mark, effectively ending Bosnia's hopes of a comeback.
Sane joined the party in the 66th minute with Germany's sixth before Kleindienst sealed the victory with his second of the night, a close-range finish, 11 minutes later.
The hosts will wrap up their group stage campaign with a trip to Budapest to face Hungary on Tuesday, while Bosnia, sitting bottom with one point, will host group runners-up Netherlands.
Netherlands 4-0 Hungary: Hosts cruise into Nations League quarter-finals
The Netherlands booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Nations League with a comfortable 4-0 victory over Hungary on Saturday.
Two first-half penalties had put the hosts in control before Denzel Dumfries and Teun Koopmeiners secured second place in Group A3 at the Johan Cruijff ArenA.
A medical emergency on the Hungary bench saw the game suspended after eight minutes, but play resumed with a Netherlands penalty after a Tamas Nikitscher handball, and Wout Weghorst confidently converted.
Cody Gakpo then doubled their lead from the spot in first-half stoppage time when Zsolt Nagy tripped Donyell Malen in the box, and Denes Dibusz was sent the wrong way once more.
Weghorst whipped a delightful, long-range curler against the crossbar shortly after the restart, but Dumfries would get their third in the 64th minute with a drilled finish across goal into the far-bottom corner.
Koopmeiners rounded off the scoring late on, meeting Dumfries' inch-perfect cross to power a header past Dibusz and in at the far post, and was denied a second moments later by the post.
Data Debrief: Oranje march on
The Netherlands knew they needed to avoid defeat to make it to the last eight in the Nations League, but Ronald Koeman's side were not going to settle.
They were on the attack from the very start, registering 22 shots as they created 2.92 expected goals.
Dumfries was at the heart of both goals after half-time, and he became the second player in history to score each of his first nine international goals for the Netherlands in the second half, after Pierre van Hooijdonk (also nine).
'We will bounce back', says Taylor after losing WSL top spot
Manchester City manager Gareth Taylor vowed his side will bounce back after they relinquished the lead in the Women's Super League with a 2-0 defeat to Chelsea.
Mayra Ramirez and Guro Reiten both scored in the space of four minutes late in the second half as defending champions Chelsea condemned City to their first league defeat and leapfrogged them to the summit.
Sonia Bompastor's side now have a two-point lead at the top and a game in hand over City, but Taylor was confident his side will continue fighting the Blues for the WSL title.
"We've always done really well on the occasions we have lost, and we don't lose often. It's a tight challenge," Taylor told Sky Sports after the match.
"We are coming to a team that has done well over the years. We will bounce back for certain. The league is never won in November.
"Football is about getting kicked, and it's how you get back up. We are right up there."
The game looked to be heading for a draw for the most part before Ramirez and Reiten struck in the 75th and 79th minutes respectively, as Chelsea ended the game with an xG of 0.85, compared to City's 0.56.
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