Jose Mourinho's comment that silenced Vincent Kompany should give Man City boost

Manchester City are battling it out with Arsenal for the Premier League title after beating their rivals on Sunday

As Arsenal enter a pivotal final month of the campaign, the greatest hurdle standing between them and the Premier League crown may be that - unlike multiple members of Manchester City's squad - the bulk of their current crop have never claimed it before. Liverpool endured close calls of their own before defeating Manchester City to secure top spot in 2019/20 and, as Jose Mourinho highlighted, they only broke the spell after claiming the Champions League.

The majority of the current Arsenal squad have not lifted a trophy - their most recent silverware was the 2020 FA Cup - though striker Gabriel Jesus is a notable exception after winning four league titles with City. If Mourinho is correct in suggesting past glory is essential to securing the Premier League title then it represents concerning news for the Gunners.

Mourinho made the pointed observation ahead of City versus Liverpool in November 2019. "They (Liverpool) were not the best (in previous seasons), they were there, they were almost there, but you (City) were the best team, in this moment I don't think there is that difference in power," Mourinho told former City defender Vincent Kompany.

Get MEN Premium now for just £1 HERE – or get involved in our City WhatsApp group by clicking HERE. You can also join our City Facebook page by clicking HERE and don't miss out on our brilliant selection of newsletters HERE.

He added: "Even in terms of statures, if statures play something. You are the champions of England but they are the champions of Europe.

"They know how to win, they know how to cope with the pressure, so for me, the game today is very, very important. Because if the distances are three points or six points, it is still very open, but if the difference is nine points, goodbye."

Former City skipper Kompany had attempted to downplay the significance of the fixture given its early-season timing. However, Mourinho believed Liverpool's European success was crucial in paving the way for a proper challenge under Jurgen Klopp - something they showed with that November win against City.

Early strikes from Fabinho and Mohamed Salah helped Liverpool secure a commanding 3-1 win that day. As Mourinho had forecast, the nine-point gap created by that result would prove too much for City and indeed the gap had widened by Christmas.

This season, however, things have been rather different. City haven't ended a game week top of the league since August but are on the verge of reeling in Arsenal.

At one stage, Mikel Arteta's side held an advantage that at times appeared unbreakable. However, victory for City at Burnley on Wednesday would see the two clubs level on points at the summit, with Guardiola's side holding the upper hand on either goals scored or goal difference depending on the margin of victory.

Arsenal's display in their defeat at the Etihad Stadium in their most recent encounter offered some supporters cause for optimism. Yet Mourinho's cautionary words from 2019 may ultimately shed light on why Liverpool were capable of ending City's dominance in a manner that Arsenal have so far been unable to replicate.