Vincent Kompany
Vincent Kompany Getty

Manchester City skipper Vincent Kompany has begun mind games with Liverpool ahead of their Premier League clash on Monday.

The Belgian defender led City to the title last season but was pushed all the way by the Anfield club till the final weeks of the campaign and at one stage, it looked like Liverpool would win their first title in the Premier League era.

Liverpool though had only the league to focus on unlike their other competitors, who had the added pressure of European football during midweek.

However, the City star feels that Liverpool will find it harder this season as they will have to focus on European football as well as the league.

"When the Champions League comes in, it will be a different competition all over for Liverpool and for all the clubs involved, because it will get more demanding as the weeks go on," Kompany said, as quoted in the Mirror.

Liverpool are playing in the Champions League for the first time since the 2009/10 season and it could be a daunting task for the players and the manager to balance both the commitments without giving up on one.

Meanwhile, the Belgian skipper also spoke about City's upcoming match against Liverpool in the league. The Etihad Stadium outfit started their campaign with a convincing win against Newcastle United, where as Liverpool earned a hard fought victory over Southampton.

Even though it is a new experience for Kompany to play a title rival so early in the season, the defender is confident that they can get the three points, if they perform the same way they did against the Tyneside club at the weekend.

"It's the first time for me that it's come so early in the season. But if we perform like we did at Newcastle, we'll be hoping to get the three points," the Belgian added.

"The win was important as it takes a lot of pressure off the Liverpool game," the City captain concluded.