Ahead of their upcoming clash with Everton, Manchester City are on the verge of securing a landmark stat - nine straight league victories on the bounce, but it will not be easy against a tough Toffees side, who have nothing to lose and boast plenty of danger men for Manuel Pellegrini's side to be weary of.
Wilfried Bony, who is eager to get the campaign off to an excellent start after some encouraging displays of late, spoke ahead of their fixture on Sunday afternoon.
City continue to improve in all areas
When asked, he said that "collectively, we are a team who ultimately want to play football." Despite an impressive finish in the league last term, the sky Blues struggled to maintain consistency - and Bony was full of praise for two of the most integral parts within the City side.
"It's fantastic to play alongside Yaya Touré and Sergio Agüero - two high quality players who help me develop my game as well as the team. When they are fit, they'll do better than last season."
Raheem - settling in quickly and effectively
Raheem Sterling's £49million pound switch from Liverpool to the blue half of Manchester came as a surprise, but he has settled into life at Eastlands well and adds another attacking string to their bow going forward. On the flank he not only boasts a lot of acceleration, but also the ability to spin past defenders with seeming ease and create chances for his team-mates to make full use of.
When asked about his thoughts on Sterling, and how he's quickly integrated into the first-team set-up, Bony stated that Raheem has come into the side, and "brings a lot of pace", which prompted a comparison to Jesús Navas on the opposite flank. Bony also stated that the side "need players like this" and because Sterling is so young and mature for his age, he's still got a lot of work that he can do to improve further with the Citizens.
On himself personally, and how he'll be motivated to provide some much-needed firepower, he reflected on the months after sealing his move to the 2013/14 league champions. "I tried - the beginning was okay but after my injury, to come back, I was tired from the African Cup of Nations."
However, the powerful Ivorian refused to make any excuses for an underwhelming start to life in Manchester, saying that "now, there is no excuses. Every player wants to play every week, but the coach cannot put eighteen players on the field."