Manu Akanji details how competition for places is pushing Man City centre-backs to be better

Manchester City have five centre-backs pushing for two starting spots in every game - so it doesn't take a maths genius like Manuel Akanji to realise that five don't go into two.

Nathan Ake has emerged as City's first-choice left-back this season after Joao Cancelo's departure, leaving Akanji, Ruben Dias, John Stones and Aymeric Laporte to compete for two spots in the centre. Pep Guardiola has tried to ease the competition by using Stones at right-back against Liverpool, however there is still more defenders than starting spots available, and that increases the competition on Kyle Walker and Rico Lewis.

Akanji has managed to position himself ahead of Laporte, starting against Liverpool alongside Dias as a reflection of his fine form this season since arriving from Borussia Dortmund.

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Speaking after the Liverpool win, Akanji said the fierce competition for the two centre-back spots is pushing all of the defenders in the team to perform at their highest level in order to stay in the team.

"It’s a good competition [for places]. Everyone wants to play," he said.

"That is what we show in training and try to show in the game, and in the end it’s the coach that picks the team and I would be really happy to stay in the team, but it’s decided game by game and I have to keep working hard.

"Everyone wants to play in the team. We have some of the greatest players here in Europe right now. We are a really good team. And that is good for me that I have the competition because I know that if I play I know I have to show up."

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