City's Argentinean Star Warns Rivals: We're a Step above You

This may not be something Premier League clubs, particularly those hoping to dethrone defending champions Manchester City may want to hear. The Etihad outfit's star Argentinean, Sergio Agüero, has sent out a title warning to the rest of the league, claiming his club will only get better as the season progresses and it will therefore be very difficult for anyone to stop them retaining their league crown.

City won their first league title in 44 years in, literally, the dying seconds of the last game of last season and it was an Agüero goal, teed up by striking partner Mario Balotelli, which gave Roberto Mancini's side a 3-2 win over Queens Park Rangers and the league crown.

"We've made a nice start and this week we have our first game. We've started off a step above the others and I hope to God we can make it stay like that. We have a phenomenal team and we are really starting to understand each other well. We'll try to start like last season and do things well. I pray we can do it again. I'm not going to say it's going to be easy but we have the team to do it," the 24 year old former Atletico Madrid striker said to The Sun.

City beat 10-man Chelsea 3-2 to win the 2012/13 Community Shield, with goals from Ivorian midfielder Yaya Toure, Agüero's compatriot Carlos Tevez and French midfielder Samir Nasri proving to be one too many for Chelsea. The only bright spots Roberto Di Matteo could have taken back to Stamford Bridge were the facts that £50m signing Fernando Torres scored and youngster Ryan Bertrand continued his strong development.

"We'll try to start like last season and do things well. I pray we can do it again. I'm not going to say it's going to be easy but we have the team to do it," Agüero added, in The Sun's report.

Mancini has expressed his disappointment at the lack of reinforcements arriving so far this summer, pointing out that rivals Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool have all been investing in revamping their squads in a bid to take on his club. The former Lazio boss would have been pleased, then, to see City come to life in the market, having confirmed the £15m signing of Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell and be linked with a move for former Real Madrid winger Royston Drenthe.