Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas takes a shot at Manchester City
Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas has taken a shot at Manchester City, the so-called new title contenders in the English Premier League, warning that City cannot simply throw away cash and expect to be a champion team overnight.
The comments come ahead of an eagerly awaited clash between Arsenal and Manchester City on the weekend. Arsenal restored their confidence after a thumping 5-1 win in the UEFA Champions League against Shakhtar Donetsk at home.
Manchester City are currently above Arsenal and trail league leaders Chelsea by just two points. It is early in the season but the spending spree of the summer does seem to be showing some results.
Still, Fabregas has his reservations. He said that putting together a champion team that can vie for the title has more to do with good work ethic than just spending cash.
"Everyone chooses their own politics and everyone decides how to win," said Fabregas. "They have a lot of money. They are taking advantage of it, and that's it. It is not our style, but we respect everyone's decision."
The World Cup-winning Spanish midfielder said that the current crop at Manchester City has not been together for a long time, and may be a team on paper but cannot be called a team until and unless it starts playing like one. Cesc went on to say that there have been a number of examples in the past where clubs have spent huge sums of money and been unable to attain their desired results. The midfielder admitted that there are some quality players at the Eastlands but reiterated that they need time to get used to each other and start playing like a team.
Cesc, the man who started his football career at the youth academy in Barcelona, said that he has learned at Arsenal that it takes time to put a team together, adding that it is no secret that Arsenal has been going through a rough time in recent seasons. He described this as all part of a rebuilding process for Arsenal, and expressed confidence that the team is ready to take the next step. He went on to say that the amount of hard work and constant planning that has gone on behind the scenes is not evident to others, but has been a long and lengthy process. Without something similar, he said, Manchester City could never hope to become a team worthy of winning the Premier League.
While commenting on the upcoming match, Fabregas also praised Manchester City for being in good form, and said Arsenal would have to put on a good performance to come away with a win. He added that all Arsenal need to do is not to worry about the stars City have in their line-up, and take it like any other game. The 24-year-old believes that the playing styles of Arsenal and Manchester City are quite different, and if the Gunners stick to their game plan they should be fine.
Cesc Fabregas was at the centre of a three-month-long transfer saga in the summer, with Spanish champions Barcelona doing all they could to lure their man. It was Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger who persuaded Fabregas to stay, and for at least one more season he is still playing for Arsenal. When asked about a possible move to Barcelona, Cesc smiled and said that for now he is committed to Arsenal and is aiming for a successful season without anything else on his mind.
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