• Premier League

Zabaleta: Defending PL title is City's main goal

Richard Jolly
August 14, 2012
Pablo Zabaleta celebrates opening the scoring © Getty Images
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Pablo Zabaleta has said that retaining the Premier League, and not winning the Champions League, is Manchester City's top priority this season.

Zabaleta, 27, was one of the scorers on the final day of last season as City won a first title in 44 years.

However, they failed to get out of the group stage in their debut year in the Champions League and the Argentine believes they have to improve in Europe.

"The Premier League remains our main focus because that is the biggest prize in England," he told FourFourTwo. "We know teams will make it even more difficult but we are determined to keep making history with Manchester City. Motivation won't be a problem.

"We didn't have the best Champions League campaign and we want to do better this time. It takes time before you are established as a top European team and we will learn from our experiences last year."

Zabaleta is predicting there will be a five-horse title race, adding: "I think Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham will challenge again. For the last three or four years, it's been City and those four sides and I can't see why that would change this season."

The defender, who lined up as one of three centre-backs in the Community Shield victory over Chelsea, believes City can get better on the road after suffering five away defeats last season.

"At the beginning of 2012, we dropped too many points away from home, drawing with West Brom and losing at Sunderland and Everton," he explained.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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