James Milner says Manchester City are out to live up to their tag as comeback kings and open up a lead on Premier League rivals Chelsea before they clash later this month.
The two sides are dead level, on points and goal difference, after a first half of the season in which the Londoners held a nine-point advantage.
But Milner believes confidence is now sky high at City following an unbeaten run of 11 wins and a draw, including Sunday’s 2-1 FA Cup third-round win over Sheffield Wednesday thanks to his double.
And with a trip to Stamford Bridge on January 31, he said: “Hopefully we’ll be looking to open up a little gap of our own. That 10
wins in a row eluded us but it is a nice run to be on.
“It is big momentum to have to go into that game still on that run with confidence flying.”
City’s resurgence coincided with criticism as they struggled to keep pace with Chelsea and were bottom of their Champions League group before wins over Bayern Munich and Roma saw them squeeze into the last 16.
And Milner says the way they won the title on the final day in 2012 and then last season also shows their spirit.
“I think if you look at the manner, how we have come back in games since I have been at the club, I think there has always been a togetherness there,” he added.
“There have been other things written, questions otherwise. Look at us being two goals from winning the title with a few minutes left, we managed to do that; various other comebacks, like the Champions League, when it looks like we’re out, and people writing us off, saying Chelsea are going to run away with the league early on.
“We have been there before and what is said outside the camp is irrelevant to us.
“We were written off in March or April the first time, but we won it, and turned it round. That experience helps.”
With Yaya Toure heading to Abu Dhabi to join the Ivory Coast training camp in preparation for the African Cup of Nations, City will lose a key player.
But Milner said: “We will see what the manager wants to do. Yaya is obviously going to be a big miss, but I think we have shown, with the injuries we have had and the players that are out, we can deal with that with the squad we have got.
“It is great to have Lamps (Frank Lampard) here as well. He is a big player for us.”
