Gabriel Jesus believes Manchester City are favourites to retain their Premier League crown after defeating Chelsea in the Community Shield.
City geared up for the Premier League campaign with a 2-0 win over Chelsea thanks to Sergio Aguero’s brace at Wembley on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola’s record-breaking City won the title by 19 points ahead of neighbours Manchester United last season.
And Brazil star Jesus – who signed a new five-year contract – acknowledged City’s favouritism to go back-to-back this term.
“[Manchester City] can be considered as favourites because we are the current champions,” Jesus told reporters.
“For us, it’s logical that the teams that will come against us will play against the defending champions, they will want to win anyhow and they will be more motivated to beat us.
“We have to do what we did last season, and remember the good things we did and the things that unfortunately didn’t work out, learn from it and make this season better than the previous.”
City open their Premier League defence against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Aymeric Laporte is determined for Manchester City to battle for trophies on four fronts this season after helping Pep Guardiola’s men to a 2-0 Community Shield win over Chelsea at Wembley.
“It’s a big season,” he told reporters. “We know exactly what we want to do.
“It will be hard. But we will try to win everything.”
Laporte missed out on a place in France’s triumphant World Cup squad but countryman Benjamin Mendy was back in action for City having featured in Didier Deschamps’ 23-man party.
A cruciate knee ligament injury restricted the left-back to seven Premier League appearances last season, while his contribution at Russia 2018 amounted to a solitary substitute outing – prompting Mendy to joke on Twitter that completing a full 90 minutes to lift the Community Shield felt a little too much like hard work.
Sergio Aguero scored a goal in each half as the Premier League champions cantered to victory over the FA Cup holders, who are still adapting to life under new boss Maurizio Sarri.
Laporte produced an assured performance alongside John Stones at centre-back and the January arrival from Athletic Bilbao is relishing his first full season in Manchester, when City will also defend the EFL Cup.
Defeats to Wigan Athletic and Liverpool respectively saw the FA Cup and Champions League get away from them in 2017-18, but the 24-year-old believes an unprecedented clean sweep should be a bold target for a lavishly gifted squad.
“I had to come back earlier, for the club, to be ready [to face Chelsea],” he told reporters, discussing how he curtailed a post-World Cup holiday to re-join Guardiola’s side on tour in the United States.
“I talked with Pep, with the medical staff and we agreed. I was happy because it is good for me and for the team.
“It’s clear [winning the World Cup] is something that we will keep with us all our lives. It changes a life.
“Now we come back at our clubs. It was great, it was incredible. But now we have to be focused for the club and I will give everything for Manchester City.”
City begin their bid to retain the Premier League – a feat no team has accomplished since Manchester United in 2008-09 – against Arsenal at Emirates Stadium next Sunday.
“We will try to keep our title. It would be great,” Mendy added.
“I think no team did it in the last 10 years but we have no bounds. We will take everything we can.”