Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany has claimed that his centre-back partner Eliaquim Mangala will show his worth this season.
The Frenchman was criticised for a number of indifferent displays in his debut campaign last year following his £32m move from FC Porto.
However, he has earned praise for his early-season form this year, and Kompany claims that adjusting to the Premier League is hard for every player.
He is quoted as saying by The Guardian: "People always underestimate the hardship of this league. It is very rare, especially with a central defender, for someone to come in and dominate. It is very hard.
"Our defending against Chelsea was made easier by the fact we defended well as a team. We have a style of play where we play very high with a lot of space, so a lot of individual challenges are required.
"Because of that, it is only when the whole team works like we did that we get great defensive performances."
City next face Everton on Sunday.
Charlie Bennett
